


Homesong

by Luci_Cunt



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, Green Creek Series - T.J. Klune
Genre: Crossover, I just love all these hoes and I need them to be friends so they are, Kinda?, M/M, as well as it can, but you def need AFtG knownledge lol, green creek x aftg, hehehehehe, more or less, the foxes meet the green creek crew and it goes uuuuhhh, which ones?, yes some of the foxes will become wolves, you can read this without Green Creek knownledge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 34,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24185593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luci_Cunt/pseuds/Luci_Cunt
Summary: The Foxes go to Green Creek, they stir up trouble and then everything--and I mean EVERYTHING--goes to hell in a hand basket.
Relationships: (renee and allison are cannon eat my ass), Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Joe Bennett/Ox Matheson, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, yeah idk everyone cannon
Comments: 61
Kudos: 83





	1. Bets / Thank You All

**Author's Note:**

> Heeeeeeellllllllooooooooooooo. 
> 
> been a minute since I popped on here, let alone wrote for AFtG. I missed these lil bitches. 
> 
> Anyways: some info you're gonna need, 
> 
> This takes place after the Raven King and roughly halfway through the Kings Men. Basically, Neil went to Evermore, he got tattooed, Andrew got clean, and a couple months later ish this all happens. So Neil and Andrew aren't together (yet) and the Foxes are still pretty wary of one another. 
> 
> In the Green Creek universe this takes place after Ravensong but before Heartsong (cuz apparently I have a thing for that spot between 2nd and 3rd books XD). So Robbie and Kelly are together, Robbie's still in GC, and basically things are going great for the Pack. (Oh but Dominique is still here because I love her and want Jessie to have a girlfriend so I messed with that a bit)
> 
> I am by no means an expert on timelines but I tried to stay as accurate as I could at least for this chapter, from this point on tho it's my own shit lol, and idk how long this is going to be because I haven't finished writing out the plot but uuuuhhh, Riko's not dead and Robert Livingstone is a hoe so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!!! And if you wanna scream at me my tumblr's [Here](https://luci-cunt.tumblr.com/)

It started with a bet, because everything with the Foxes seemed to. 

“Yeah constant fear wouldn’t be fun but hotel hopping couldn’t be _that_ bad,” Nicky said one night, sloppy drunk and hanging upside down over the back of the couch. Neil, Andrew, Kevin and Aaron were spread out around him, Kevin laying on the couch while the others took up beanbags. 

“ _Motel_ hopping,” Aaron corrected hugging a bottle of vodka out of reach from Kevin. “Remember he was basically movable trailer trash.” 

Neil just laughed, he and Andrew were both sober but Andrew was pretending to sleep as Neil pretended to do homework. 

Nicky gasped. “Aaron! That’s so mean!” he whined, struggling to pull himself into an upright position to scold him properly. He just managed to fall on the floor in a heap and a soft “ow.” 

“Also not wrong, Nicky you couldn’t last a day,” Kevin said, he was glaring at Aaron and half heartedly reaching for the vodka. 

“Ass, sure I could--all you have to do is sleep and eat.” 

“In a _motel,_ they probably wouldn’t even have breakfast, or clean sheets,” Aaron said. 

“The stains I’ve seen,” Neil muttered, hiding a smile. 

That made Nicky hesitate, but then he poked his head up over the back of the couch, narrowing his eyes at them all. “You’re just trying to get me to drop the bet--fuck off now I’ll _prove_ it--we’ll make it a roadtrip! We could use one, especially after… um...” Nicky slowed off, his eyes going to Neil guiltily. 

“You can say Christmas Nicky, it won’t bite, it’s just a word,” Andrew said, deadpanned and with his eyes still closed. 

Nicky winced. “Right, well--whatever, we could just use some away time, get our minds off it,” he said quickly. 

“No, we need to--” Kevin started. 

Aaron groaned, “I don’t want to have to sleep in bum-fuck nowhere on a piss-stained mattress just because you want to lose a bet Nicky.” 

“Come on, it’ll be fun! We’ll take the whole team!” 

“No,” Kevin and Aaron said at the same time. 

“Neil--come on, you’re with me right?” Nicky said, crawling over the couch to wrap himself around Neil, who just sighed. 

“It wasn’t exactly a highlight of my life Nicky,” he said, tolerating Nicky’s clinginess. 

“Andrew? What about you? There’s not exy courts in bum-fuck nowhere,” Nicky said. Andrew didn’t open his eyes. Nicky scoffed, pushing himself up and going to the door. “You guys suck, I bet Matt will go with me.” 

One $2000 bet and a random google maps search later and the Foxes all piled into their cars to catch the last minute plane Allison had booked to some town called Green Creek in Oregon. Andrew hadn’t wanted to go at all but Neil had agreed to drive with him instead of flying _and_ found them an AirBnB to stay at instead of the motel. 

The drive was nice, and the town was exactly what Neil had expected: bum-fuck nowhere. There was a faded wooden sign greeting them and just a single street lined with restaurants and little stores. The real cherry on top was when they passed an auto shop called Gordo’s and three guys wearing coveralls paused working to stare at them as they passed.

The windows of the maserati were tinted but Neil still sank a little lower in his seat, keeping his eyes forward. He’d been glad when Andrew insisted on the AirBnB. Even though it had been years and Neil was in a much better place, the idea of staying in a motel in a town like this was poking at a sore wound for him. 

They drove around a bit to get the layout of the town and spotted the diner the Foxes said they’d meet them at. It looked obnoxious, with a cheesy palm tree-sporting neon sign that said it was called Oasis. Andrew parked in the front to make sure he could keep eyes on the maserati and double locked it, giving the other cars in the lot--only two or three beat up looking trucks and corollas--a scathing glance before he and Neil went inside. 

The bell hanging over the door rang when they went in and the scent of grease and burnt coffee hit Neil like a wall. There was an inflatable palm tree by the door and the floor was checkered black and white. Tall booths made up the seating, with the only other option being the long bar with old looking stools. A tired looking waitress eyed them as they came in, same wary but curious expression as the auto-shop workers. Andrew ignored her and went towards the loud sounds of their group laughing and talking. 

“Ah,” she said, nostrils flaring slightly even though she didn’t look mad. She had dark skin and her nametag read ‘Dominique.’ “They’ve been waiting, you need coffee?” 

Neil shook his head and followed Andrew. 

“You made it!” Nicky screeched as he saw them. The others grinned. Allison, Dan, Matt and Renee were squished into one side of the booth while Kevin, Aaron and Nicky sat on the other side. Nicky made a deal about scooting over and Neil sat with him on the edge of the bench while Andrew just dragged a chair over from the side of the room and made Nicky get up and sit in it so he could share the bench with Neil, Aaron and Kevin. There was coffee and plates of half eaten pancakes scattered around the table. Matt was still working his way through oily looking hashbrowns that he offered to Neil, who politely declined. 

“How was the drive? Our flight was cramped as hell since Allison only managed to get one first class ticket,” he said, grinning. 

“ _Managed?_ ” Nicky scoffed, “No she just didn’t bother.” 

“Right, next time I just won’t _bother_ to get you guys tickets at all,” Allison said, but she was smiling too. 

“I’m sure we’re all very grateful for the plane,” Renee said placatingly, sipping a cup of coffee. 

Allison leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“The drive was fine-- _good_ ,” Neil said, correcting himself at the last second when all their eyes darted to him. “Andrew almost ran over a deer on our way in though,” he added, grinning at Andrew, who rolled his eyes. 

“Not my fault it darted out in the middle of the street,” he said flatly. 

“Andrew!” Nicky gasped, scandalized. The others all laughed. 

“Can I get anything for the two of you?” Dominique asked, suddenly appearing at the head of the table. 

“I’m good,” Neil said. 

“Absolutely not,” Dan and Nicky said at the same time. 

Matt nodded as Neil rolled his eyes. “I’m buying you a plate of fruit and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

“And just a mug of maple syrup for the monster,” Allison snarked. 

“Fuck off,” Neil said, glaring, but Andrew remained impassive, leaning back against the booth with his arms resting on the back behind Neil and Aaron. Dominique gave them all a weird look. “I’m fine, we don’t need anything,” Neil said. 

“There’s a fifty dollar tip in it if you ignore him and bring that fruit plate,” Matt said. 

“On who’s bill, you don’t have fifty dollars,” Aaron said. Allison pulled the money out of her wallet and handed it to Dominique while smiling. 

“Thanks in advance,” Allison said, and Dominique blinked at them, but took the money and went off into the kitchen. 

“You guys are the worst,” Neil groaned, only half lying. They all beamed. 

“It was worth her face--you should have seen it when Kevin asked for avocado toast,” Nicky said, cackling. Kevin scowled at him, pointedly chewing on his plain, whole wheat toast. 

“Yeah, I think we were _too_ spot on about the bum-fuck thing,” Allison said, earning her a glare from Matt and Dan, who both shot glances around the diner. It was empty though, except for one woman sitting at the bar nursing a cup of coffee and smiling at Dominique.

“I think it’s lovely here,” Renee said.

Allison rolled her eyes, “Of course.” 

“What do you think Andrew?” Renee said, ignoring her girlfriend. 

Andrew gave Renee a flat look. “I think some hick is going to steal my car as soon as I stop looking.” 

“Most the hicks here don’t know how to drive a car that nice, I wouldn’t worry,” the woman at the bar said, tone as flat as Andrew’s. 

“Sorry he doesn’t really--” Nicky started to apologize frantically. 

“That’s not reassuring,” Andrew interrupted. The woman laughed, swiveling on the stool to lean with her back against the counter. She had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and she was wearing a tank top with jeans. She looked fit, and carried herself with the same ease Renee did--like she could break your arm before you blinked if she wanted to. 

“Well, I know the deputy, people make a point of not crossing him,” she said with a careless grin. Andrew didn’t say anything, just watched her.

“Seriously though,” Dan said. “He’s an asshole, sorry in advance.” 

“Yeah, if he pisses someone off he’s not with us,” Allison joked. 

The bell above the door rang, interrupting the moment and they all looked over in time to see two men walk through. One was in a police uniform, he was blond and on the lanky side. He was grinning at the other man, who had dark hair in an uppercut and was wearing coveralls that looked remarkably clean for having just been working in an auto-shop and oversized glasses. He was waving his arms around animatedly, regailing some story he was caught up in. 

The officer noticed the woman at the bar and smiled, it faded a bit when his eyes caught on the Foxes and he scanned each of them. 

“--which is when I was thinking ‘there’s no way I’m going to fit that whole thing in my mouth’ but it was fifty dollars on the line and there’s no way I was letting--Jessie!” the second man said, cutting himself off mid story when he spotted the woman. 

“Hi Robbie, Gordo let you out?” she said, smirking.

“Uh, _of course_ , he adores me--does anything I ask, didn’t you hear?” he said, she rolled her eyes at him but he’d noticed the Foxes and he perked up. “Well _he-llo_ strangers,” he said, coming over to their table. 

“Yes, very much _hello_ ,” Nicky said, twisting in his seat to shake the man’s hand. “I’m Nicky.” 

“Robbie, pleasure to meet you _and_ your remarkable fashion sense,” he asked, plucking the material of Nicky’s shirt, which was rainbow colored with the word “fuck” written in the middle. 

Nicky looked back at the table, with wide eyes and a shocked grin. “Oh my god guys this town is _amazing_.” 

Behind Robbie the officer and the woman rolled their eyes. 

“Robbie you slut,” the woman said fondly, the officer punched her in the shoulder and she laughed. 

“I’m just being friendly!” Robbie said, and he blew a kiss to the officer, who blushed. “Don’t worry babe, I’m still crazy for you.” 

Nicky pouted. “I literally have _the worst_ luck,” he groaned. 

“You’re _literally_ married,” Aaron said mockingly. Nicky beamed at the mention.

“So, you guys just passing through?” Robbie asked looking around the table. “Where you from?” 

“South Carolina,” Dan said. “I’m Dan, this is Matt, Allison and Renee. Those are the monsters,” she introduced. Neil glared and kicked her under the table. 

“Neil, Andrew, Aaron and Kevin,” Nicky added brightly. 

“Well, sure you heard but I’m Robbie, that’s Kelly and Jessie, Dominique’s probably working too,” Robbie said, then narrowed his eyes and grinned. “wait ok--let me guess, sports team?”

“Exy,” Matt confirmed, Robbie pumped his fists.

“Knew it, you guys have major jock energy,” he said. 

Nicky cackled, “Careful, you’ll offend Andrew and Allison.” 

Allison looked like she was offended, Andrew looked bored. 

“Fuck you I did _not_ spend half an hour getting ready in that crusty motel to get called a jock,” Allison said, only half joking. 

“You look lovely,” Renee said, Allison smiled at her quickly and then went back to glaring at Robbie, who put his hands up.

“I didn’t mean anything by it, you’re all just too hot to not be working out constantly,” he said. Allison seemed to deem that apology enough and nodded, everyone else laughed except Andrew’s lot. Aaron rolled his eyes, Kevin was looking at something on his phone that looked like Trojan game stats, Andrew was bored and Neil wanted to leave. 

Dominique suddenly appeared with the promised fruit plate, and she set it down in front of Neil. 

“Dominique!” Robbie said, pulling her into a quick hug that she seemed to fondly tolerate. 

“I’m working Robbie, don’t make me call Gordo,” she said. 

He laughed and Andrew stole a grape from the plate, scowling minutely as he ate it. Neil rolled his eyes and chewed on a slice of pear. It was cold, a little mealy but not bad. 

Robbie laughed. “What’s he gonna do? Sic Rico on me? I can take him.” Everyone in the group tensed at the same time and Kevin dropped his phone, cursing under his breath. Kelly, Dominique and Robbie noticed, and Jessie’s brow furrowed. 

“You guys ok?” Robbie asked. 

“Ha,” Nicky said, voice a bit tight. “Yeah, yeah, we just--well we don’t have the best experience with Rikos, but as long as yours doesn’t have any face tattoos and murderous tendencies I’m sure it's fine.” 

The four’s eyes bounced between Neil and Kevin’s tattoos. “Uh,” Robbie said. “Yeah, no tattoos.”

“He might have a tramp stamp,” Jessie said thoughtfully, and Robbie whirled on her.

“No--there’s no way, are you being serious?? How did he hide it?!” 

Jessie and Kelly both laughed. “I don’t know, I just wouldn’t put it past him,” she said. 

“Gordo would know,” Kelly said. 

“Gordo would _hide_ it,” Robbie said. 

Jessie and Kelly snorted. “no, he would not,” they said at the same time. 

Neil was already feeling tired from the drive up and having to deal with the friendly strangers, but the mention of Riko was the final straw and he stood up. 

“I’d better go find the AirBnB,” he said. Andrew grabbed his wrist. 

“Kevin you’re coming,” Andrew said, he glanced to Aaron, eyebrow cocked in question. 

Aaron waved him off. “Yeah, no, have fun dealing with the meltdown _without_ me, I’m good.”

“Shit,” Nicky said as the three got up. “Guys--” 

“We’ll see you guys at the hotel later,” Neil said. The locals were eyeing them but were ignored as Andrew prodded a scowling Kevin. 

“Whatever, your TV better pick up exy, I need to- _-stop_ \--I need to review the--” but Andrew didn’t stop poking him and eventually Kevin just growled and stood up to follow them out. 

“Touchy subject huh? My bad,” Neil heard Robbie say. 

“Not your fault, you couldn’t have known,” Renee said, and then the door closed. 

*☾*

The AirBnB was tiny, and on the very edge of the town. A little ways down the road there was a little blue house and it looked like the road went further past it but other than that it was just forest. Their host wasn’t there, but she’d left notes on the fridge giving them the wifi, cable information and just more details on the house. Neil scanned them briefly before handing them off to Andrew and checking the windows. 

There were only two bedrooms leading away from the livingroom/ kitchen. Neil assumed if Kevin was staying he’d be taking up the couch. He’d tried to find a house with more than two rooms but this was the _only_ listing in Green Creek. The rooms were practically identical, with a window, bed, side table and modest bookshelf. They matched the rest of the rooms grandmotherly decorating style, with quilted bedding, kitschy knick-knacks filling shelves and surfaces and large pictures of cats dressed up in various outfits decorating the walls. 

Andrew claimed the room with the working lock and dumped his bag on the bed. Kevin had already settled on the couch, flicking through the TV until he found an exy game. 

“Find enough escape routes?” Andrew drawled, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe to Neil’s room as he smoked a cigarette despite the no-smoking policy. 

“Fuck off,” Neil said, stuffing his bag into the dresser he found tucked into the closet. By the time he looked over his shoulder next Andrew had disappeared. Part of him wanted to take his bag out and hide it somewhere else, but it wouldn’t really matter. Andrew already knew what was in it, plus since their deal he’d kept his promise and stayed out of Neil’s things. 

It was still unsettling, and everytime Neil thought about it he felt like the floor had been scooped out from under his feet. He had a home, he’d carved it out of stone with nothing but a fork but he’d done it. He didn’t know how long it would last, Riko was a dog biting at his heels and his father wasn’t far behind but he pushed both out of his mind for now. 

Matt texted Kevin a couple of hours later telling Neil to charge his phone and for them to meet the others at some bar called the Lighthouse. They piled into the Maserati with only minor grumbling from Kevin and drove around until they found a place. Andrew had another cigarette that Neil stole just before they got out, taking a puff for confidence before he dropped it on the ground and crushed it with his shoe. 

Andrew gave him a scathing look but didn’t say anything, and they both followed Kevin into the bar. 

It was tiny--like just about everything else in Green Creek seemed to be. Surprisingly though it all looked new, shiny well polished oak counters and unscuffed floors. Even the walls looked fresh, and the mirror behind the bar was clean and unbroken. Neil wondered if the place was new, but everyone seemed comfortable in it, and it was crowded, so he assumed they must just keep it clean. 

A petite woman was standing behind the bar, she had blonde hair and a laugh that carried over everyone else in the room. She waved to them as they came in, pointing to the corner where the rest of their group was sitting with Robbie and Kelly. 

Kevin dropped down in the chair with his back to the room, grabbing a few of the shots on the table and pounding them before anyone could speak a greeting and Neil and Andrew settled in next to him. 

Robbie and Kelly both subtly wrinkled their noses, probably smelling the cigarette, but they didn’t say anything. 

“Glad you guys finally decided to show up!” Matt said, ruffling Neil’s hair from across the table. He looked like he’d already been drinking--they all did--each of them rosy cheeked and loose with sloppy grins on. Only the locals and Renee seemed sober, and Renee was sipping on what looked like a shirley temple, she smiled at them. 

“How is the AirBnb?” 

“Small,” Andrew said, grabbing one of the shots for himself and downing it. Renee looked to Neil expectantly, he just gave her a halfhearted shrug that she accepted. 

“You got exy?” she asked Kevin, he nodded, but scrunched up his face. “Only highlights though,” he said distastefully. 

“I’m sure they play a lot of Trojan games then,” she said with a knowing smile. Kevin gulped two more shots and didn’t answer, Neil rolled his eyes. 

“Robbie was just telling us they have karaoke, and I for one can’t _wait,_ ” Nicky said, he leaned toward Robbie. “The club we go to--Eden’s--it’s way too loud for that but every once in a while I wrangle them into going to a smaller place.” 

“Yeah, and make my ears bleed,” Aaron said. 

Nicky gasped, scandalized and Robbie laughed while Kelly hid a smile behind a glass of soda. 

“How _dare_ you, Aaron Micheal Minyard you take that back this _instant_.”

“He’s not wrong,” Kevin said, Nicky wailed. 

“Neil, apparently they have a hairdresser somewhere here and we are _definitely_ doing something about that mop on your head,” Allison said. 

Neil’s stomach rolled. “I don’t think I need anymore appearance changes,” he said. 

She didn’t wince. “Thanks for the opinion, I already made the appointment.” 

“Allison--” Renee started, but Allison was sneering at Andrew. 

“Kind of expected a threat from you at that monster,” she said. 

Andrew gave her a flat look. “Neil’s a big boy, he can take care of himself. Besides, I don’t like repeating myself.” 

“Guys, we’re not doing this here,” Dan said, using her captain voice and glaring between them all. 

“Yeah! We’re supposed to be having fun!” Matt chimed in, throwing his arm around Dan and hugging her. 

‘Having fun’ turned out to be getting completely wasted and singing on top of the tables. Even Aaron got up to sing some annoyingly catchy song Neil didn’t recognize but everyone else seemed to know the words to. Neil didn’t drink, instead watching his family with a barely-there smile as they dissolved into obnoxious disasters. Allison dragged Renee up for a dance after a while and Matt and Dan followed with Nicky pulling Aaron out too. The middle of the bar became an impromptu dance floor as they all jumped around to a shitty rendition of something sung by a guy named after a dog. 

By the end of the night everyone was giggly and exhausted, and they all collapsed at the table, Nicky and Robbie mid-conversation as Kelly chatted with the bartender--who Neil learned was named Bambi. 

“--I could totally take you, no biggie,” Nicky was saying. He flexed his arms and pointed at Robbie. “See this? Raw muscle, you’re just a shrimp!” 

Robbie laughed. “I’m stronger than I look,” he said. 

“Pfft, I doubt that, you’ve probably got arms like Neil,” Allison said, plopping herself down in Renee’s lap. 

Robbie looked to Neil, who shrugged. “I run.” 

The group groaned. “ _He runs_ ,” they mocked, and then all burst out laughing, even Neil couldn’t help but crack a smile. 

“I still doubt you could beat him, you’re so drunk you can’t even walk straight and he’s perfectly sober,” Matt said, then he narrowed his eyes and leaned into Robbie’s face, swaying a bit. “At least--I think.” 

“I’ve got a high tolerance,” Robbie said. 

“Uh, _yeah_ you drank almost as much as me and you’re not even phased! That’s like, _Kevin_ levels of tolerance,” Dan said with a laugh. 

“Whatever, I’ll still win, right here right now,” Nicky said, slamming his elbow hard enough on the table that he winced. Robbie laughed but he put his hand up too, clasping Nicky’s and grinning at him. 

“You’re on,” he said. 

The Foxes crowded around them, cheering as they struggled against one another. Nicky’s face was completely red and Robbie barely looked phased. For a second it looked like Nicky was actually gaining some, but then Robbie ended it by slamming his hand into the table. 

Unfortunately for Nicky it landed on a shot glass, which shattered, cutting the back of his hand and blood started leaking. Nicky yelped, and then held up his hand. 

“Oh fuck,” he muttered at the same time as Andrew stabbed a knife into the table where Robbie’s hand was. Somehow, Robbie moved quick enough to dodge, and the knife embedded itself in the table. Robbie stood so fast he knocked over his chair. His eyes were wide and he threw his hands up in surrender as Andrew stood to follow him, yanking his knife out of the table. Before he could do much more though, Kelly was suddenly standing in front of Robbie. He snarled, baring his teeth, and Neil swore his eyes flashed bright orange for a second. 

He was a little surprised that the trained officer didn’t immediately reach for his gun, it wasn’t on his belt but every cop Neil had run into always went for their gun at the first sign of trouble. Kelly held his hands at his side, tensed like he was going to claw Andrew’s face off. 

“ _Back off,_ ” Kelly snapped. 

“Andrew stop--it was an accident it’s not even that bad look I’m-- _ow_ , Aaron stop pressing so hard,” Nicky said. His hand was still bleeding but Aaron was holding some napkins to it. Nicky looked to Neil, his expression desperate. 

Robbie was pale. “I swear I didn’t mean to do that. I’m so sorry--I didn’t see the glass,” he said quickly. 

“Andrew,” Neil said quietly, glancing around the bar as he realized the whole place had stopped to stare. Andrew didn’t move, still staring Robbie down from where he was behind Kelly. “It was an accident, this isn’t the place.” 

Andrew scowled, and Neil reached for his knife. Just as he closed his fingers around it though the door burst open, another man, who looked remarkably like Kelly entered. He spotted the group and cursed, hurriedly blocking something from following him in. 

“Fucking-- _stop,_ no, you can’t come in, stay out--go in the woods or something fuck off,” he snapped, using his foot to keep whatever it was at bay so he could slam the door shut. Then he turned to the bar, eyes on Kelly and Robbie first before flitting over the Foxes. “What the fuck’s going on?” 

“It’s nothing--just an accident,” Robbie and Nicky said quickly, both panicking. 

“He tried to cut Robbie’s hand off,” Kelly snarled, eyes still on Andrew. 

“I don’t like people fucking with what’s mine,” Andrew said, completely unapologetic. 

“These are brand new floors boys and if you get them dirty I’ll hang your skin on my open sign,” Bambi said cooly from the bar. 

“Andrew he didn’t mean it--I’m fine, honest! It was just a scratch!” Nicky said, and when Andrew didn’t respond he looked to Neil again. “Neil, plea--” 

“Do _not_ ,” Neil snapped, Nicky flinched and Neil turned back to Andrew. “Now is _not_ the time, he learned his lesson and Nicky’s fine, look at him.” 

Andrew was still tense, and Neil watched his jaw work as he thought it through. “ _Look at him_ , Andrew,” Neil repeated more intensely. Andrew did, and Nicky held up his hand to show the shallow cut across the back. The bleeding had mostly stopped and it didn’t even look like it would need stitches. Andrew huffed a breath but put his knife away, his shoulders were still tense and he was glaring at Robbie but the knife was gone. The bar seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

“Well shit,” the guy at the door said. “Ox is already on his way--why’d you have to do that Kelly,” he said. 

“Did you not just hear me, this psycho tried to fucking cut his hand off!” Kelly snarled. 

Robbie put a hand on his shoulder. “Kelly it’s fine--” 

“No!” Kelly snapped, shoving his hand away and getting in Andrew’s face. “I want you _gone_ , and if you try to touch him again I’ll rip your fucking throat out.” He said it viciously, and Neil was surprised that he actually believed him. 

Andrew looked bored. “I won’t have a problem if he doesn’t test me.” 

“I won’t--I’m sorry, really I--” 

“Don’t fucking apologize--Carter where the fuck is Ox?” Kelly snapped. 

Carter just pointed to the door and a second later it opened. Another man entered, he was massive, probably taller than even Matt and with enough muscle to live up to his namesake. He scanned the room with a calm but serious look that reminded Neil of Renee. In fact, the man reminded Neil too much of Renee, he felt uneasy, eyes darting to the exits and Andrew clamped a hand down on his leg before he could run. 

“Don’t let me interrupt you,” the man said, smiling warmly as he addressed the other bar patrons who were all still intently watching the scene unfold. “Bambi put a round for everyone on my tab would you please? That includes one for you,” he added. There was a cheer, and everyone went back to drinking as Bambi started pouring. 

Ox came over to the table, pulling up a chair and sitting down with them. He was still smiling, even as Kelly started snarling again. “Ox he--” 

“I heard Kelly,” Ox said calmly. 

“It was my fault I wasn’t paying attention--” Robbie said. 

“I also heard that,” Ox added. They both quieted, but Kelly’s eyes did the flashing thing again and Neil looked around for whatever lights were causing it. 

“I’m Oxnard, most people call me Ox. We don’t get a lot of strangers through here,” he said. His voice had an odd kind of drawl to it, like he was purposefully thinking of every letter in every word before he said it. 

“Nice to meet you Ox, your town is lovely,” Renee said, because of course she did. The upperclassmen were quick to nod and he smiled. 

“Thank you, I grew up here,” he said. Then he took a deep breath. “These are my brothers,” he started, looking at each of them. “I see they are yours,” he said to Andrew. “So you can understand why I’d be upset if they were to be hurt in some way.” His expression turned serious, teetering on the line between threatening and warning. “I understand your outburst, but another won’t be tolerated.” 

“It won’t happen again I swear--I’m really sorry, it wasn’t his fault, I was being stupid and it doesn’t matter,” Nicky said quickly, but Ox was only watching Andrew, who stared him back down impassively. After a moment Ox’s eyes flashed red--literal crimson. Neil suppressed a shudder and Andrew’s hand tightened to bruising where it was gripping Neil’s leg. 

After a long, tense moment Andrew said, “Sure.” 

Kelly’s face went red as he scowled. “Oxyou can’t just--he--”

“--Deserves another chance, just like everyone else,” Ox said, getting up slowly and speaking in a tone that didn’t allow argument. 

Kelly looked to the other man still by the door. “Carter,” he said. 

Carter held up his hands. “Looks like it got handled,” he said, which just made Kelly snarl and Carter glared. “Fuck off, he’s fine, you’re fine--relax.” 

Kelly grabbed Robbie’s arm and started to drag him out, giving Andrew a final glare and hissing, “ _Watch your fucking back_ ,” as he left.

Robbie made an indignant noise and said, “ _Kelly_ ,” but then they were outside and Neil couldn’t hear them. 

“I hope you all enjoy your stay,” Ox said as he left. 

Carter waited a while before he pointed at Andrew. “Don’t you touch Kelly, you hear?” 

Andrew shrugged. “As long as he doesn’t give me a reason to, I won’t waste the energy.” 

Carter narrowed his eyes, but apparently it was enough because he turned and left too. He stopped right before he closed the door though, leaning back in to say-- “Oh and, uh--yeah if I were you I wouldn’t go to Gordo’s. If he hears about this he’ll have Chris and Tanner pour fruit loops in your engine and piss on the seats,” he said, smirking. “It’s a nice car, wouldn’t want something like that happening,” he said, and then he was gone. 

The upperclassmen were immediately jumping over one another to scold. 

“What the _fuck_ Andrew?” Dan snapped. 

“Dude, it was an accident,” Matt said. 

“Fucking psycho’s right,” Allison said. 

“Hey, fuck off,” Aaron said. 

“Did you guys see their eyes?” Kevin whispered. Neil’s pulse spiked, he’d been hoping it had just been him seeing things but if Kevin saw them… 

Luckily no one was paying attention to Kevin and they bulldozed on as Dan snatched up her things and stood quickly. 

“Thanks for reminding me why we never go out with you guys,” she snapped, “C’mon, I’m tired,” she added, and Dan and Allison got up and followed her out. They only lingered for a moment when Renee hesitated, but left when she told them she’d catch up. 

Renee looked to Neil, “Thank you,” she said, and then she gave Andrew a significant look that he rolled his eyes at, she didn’t catch it though, just turned her back and left after the others. 

“Fuck,” Nicky said miserably. 

“They were red right? And orange?” Kevin said, looking around frantically. The others still ignored him and Neil pretended he didn’t know what Kevin was talking about. 

“I knew this was gonna suck,” Aaron said, pulling Nicky up out of the chair. “C’mon,” he said. 

*☾*

Andrew and Neil pulled up to the AirBnB with Kevin muttering about eyes in the backseat. They dragged him into the house and dropped him on the couch. Neil was tired, but his skin was itching and he didn’t think he could stay still enough to fall asleep, so he made coffee in the kitchen. 

It didn’t take long for Kevin to start snoring, and Neil heard Andrew lock all the doors and windows before coming into the kitchen to steal Neil’s coffee and dump a mountain of sugar into it as well as half the cream pint. 

“Too bad this place doesn’t have a good roof,” Neil joked, half smiling as he poured another cup for himself. 

Andrew looked unamused. “Go for it, if you break your leg I’m not calling an ambulance.” Neil breathed a laugh because he knew Andrew was being serious. “Do you know him?” Andrew asked after a moment, startling Neil out of his thoughts. 

“Who?” 

“Ox, you tensed when he came in.” 

“No.” 

Andrew looked dubious. 

“I don’t, he just--” Neil paused, pursing his lips and breathing out a quick, frustrated breath through his nose. “He reminds me of Renee.” 

“Who reminds you of someone unmentionable, how tragic,” Andrew said, emotionless. 

Neil glared, but swallowed his response with more coffee. After a while Neil spoke up, “I don’t like this town.” 

“Fascinating,” Andrew said. 

“We shouldn’t stay.” 

“Great, now all you have to do is convince the others to leave early.” 

Neil glared, but Andrew didn’t say anything else. They stayed like that for a while, silently drinking until Andrew pushed away from the counter, dropping his mug in the sink without rinsing it and went towards his room. 

“Don’t go on a run unless you have your phone-- _charged_ ,” he said by way of goodnight, and Neil rolled his eyes. He lingered in the kitchen for a bit longer though, his mind kept jumping back to Ox and his red eyes. 

They hadn’t even been directed at him but Neil had felt the pull of _listen, listen, listen._ It was chilling, odd. He wondered if they had spiked the drinks at some point. From the way Andrew’s grip had tightened Neil knew he’d felt it too--maybe even stronger. Whatever it had been, Neil didn’t like it, and he made a silent promise to keep out of Ox’s way. 

He slept fitfully, eventually giving up sometime around four am to go for a run. He changed into shorts and slipped his phone--charged but turned off--in his pocket before he left. Green Creek was still completely asleep, nothing but a couple sleepy birds making noise from the forest stirred the quiet morning. 

It reminded him of a lot of the towns he’d avoided while on the run. Places like this, where everyone was family, it didn’t mend well with their lifestyle. People who lived in places like this tended to talk and talk was never good. And yet Neil always felt drawn to these kinds of towns, where half the people in them had been born down the street. He never argued when his mom refused to stay long, he was relieved, they also always made him ache. 

“Hey!” a voice called suddenly, stirring Neil out of his thoughts. He whipped around, tensing for a fight, but the man who’d called out just waved and smiled, jogging to catch up. “Damn, you can run,” he said with a friendly laugh Neil didn’t return. He didn’t seem discouraged. “I’m Joe, you met my boyfriend last night I think--Ox. I just noticed you running and thought I’d join,” he said. He was on the shorter side, same blond hair as Kelly and Carter and same basically everything. The three of them could have been tripletts except for the obvious age differences. 

“I usually run alone,” Neil said, and he turned, hoping that would be it, but Joe wasn’t deterred. 

“It’s good to mix things up sometimes,” he said, following Neil when he started off again. “You’re uh--Neil, right? Or Kevin?” he said, easily keeping Neil’s pace. Neil gave him a suspicious glance that he laughed good naturedly at. “The other’s told me about the face tattoos, I just can’t remember which was which.” 

Neil didn’t respond. “Well, I think you look like a Neil,” Joe said. 

Neil picked up his pace and, frustratingly enough, Joe did too. They ran laps around Green Creek, sticking to the edge of the forest. Around lap two is when Neil probably would have stopped, but Joe was barely out of breath and still keeping up with Neil, which was annoying, so Neil pressed on. Around their fourth lap the sun had started to come up and as they passed through the town Neil noticed metal gleaming off the windows of the shops. 

On the next lap he realized it was because all the buildings in the down had thick metal shutters and locks, like the entire town could be barricaded at a second's notice. 

“You get a lot of robberies?” Neil asked, starting to pant a little. 

Joe laughed, completely fine. “Something like that,” he said. 

They ran two more laps, and by the end of it they were practically sprinting. At the end of the second Joe finally broke and he started sweating, furrowing his brow in concentration. Neil felt like he was going to drop any second so the next time they passed the house he stopped, struggling to stay standing. 

Joe stopped with him, grinning. “Thanks for the run, Neil,” he said. Neil didn’t say anything and Joe turned to leave, but right at the last second he turned, grabbing Neil’s shoulder. Neil tried to shake him off but he didn’t budge, just stared Neil down directly in the eyes, they flashed red and Neil’s blood went cold. 

“I’d recommend not sticking around,” he said quietly, smile gone. 

Neil’s entire body screamed at him to run, but he found that was only partially instinct, because the other half was the voice screaming in his mind to _listen listen listen._

It was like Joe had reached through his skull and was tugging on the back of his mind. It made Neil want to throw up, but just as quickly as Joe had done it, he was back to smiling. He let go of Neil, patting his shoulder. 

“It was nice meeting you,” he said, and then he was gone. 

Neil was quick to scramble back into the house, but his legs felt like mush. He managed to open the door with shaking hands but he tripped while trying to kick off his shoes and collapsed to the floor in a heap. He didn’t move--couldn’t--he was exhausted, he didn’t think he’d even be able to crawl if Nathan himself appeared. 

Andrew poked his head out of the kitchen, scanning Neil for injuries and scowling when he didn’t see any. 

“Idiot,” he hissed, probably assuming Neil had run himself ragged on his own. Neil let him think that, keeping the interaction with Joe to himself for now. 

“I don’t like this town,” Neil said from the floor. 

Andrew just scoffed. 

*☾*

Nicky called Andrew around one demanding they meet at the diner for lunch. Neil didn’t want to get off the couch, every part of him ached, but Andrew kicked him in the side until he dragged himself up and collapsed in the car. 

Kevin was also pissed at Neil for pushing himself, muttering about overexertion and when they got to the diner he ordered a smoothie with “as many bananas as you have” and forced Neil to choke it down while he ordered two more. 

Nicky and Aaron arrived a little after they did, Nicky smiling brightly and the only indication of the previous night’s excitement was a bandage around his hand. 

“That’s one night in the bag! You’re dead Neil, there’s no way I’m losing now, that was a piece of cake,” Nicky said, throwing himself down in the booth across from Neil and Andrew. Aaron followed at a more reserved pace, rolling his eyes. 

“I think I have fleas now,” Aaron said, itching his scalp. 

“By the way Neil, the upperclassmen want to steal you, apparently Allison was serious about that hair appointment,” Nicky said. “Matt said he’s been texting you.” 

Neil dug his phone out of his pocket and held the button down to turn it on. Andrew smacked the back of his head and Neil glared at him, and then at the phone when it buzzed incessantly at all the incoming messages. He opened the newest one, from Matt. 

_Lunch?_

_I’m with Andrew._

Matt responded by calling him, which just made Neil’s scowl deepen, but he picked it up. 

“Of course you are, listen--Allison made that appointment and you’re coming with us to get your hair clipped,” Matt said. 

“I’m _fine_ , I don’t need a haircut,” Neil said. 

“Yes, you do,” Nicky said, Neil glared. 

“Bud, either you come or Allison’s going to drag you here, she’s for real about this,” Matt said. 

“YOU’RE COMING JOSTEN!” Allison’s voice called, she sounded muffled. 

For a moment Neil thought about arguing, he really didn’t want to deal with a hairdresser right now, but it did mean he could sit down for a while, and that thought was extremely enticing. He sighed after a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. “ _Fine_ ,” he said. 

“Hell yeah,” Matt said, Neil could hear his grin. “You at the AirBnB?” 

“No, diner.” 

“Great, we’ll pick you up.” 

“You guys don’t have a car.” 

“Everything’s within walking distance, we’ll see you in ten.” 

And then he hung up and Neil sighed again. 

“I’m getting a haircut,” Neil said, flicking his phone shut and sticking it back in his pocket. Nicky beamed and then their food came, Kevin made Neil drink another smoothie before the upperclassmen pounded on the window in front of their booth and Neil got up somberly. Andrew hooked a finger in his collar and dragged him down again.

“Keep your phone _on_ , and remember what I said,” Andrew said. _Next time someone comes stand down and let me deal with it._

“Remember what _I_ said,” Neil said. _Not if it means losing you._

Andrew scowled. “ _Fuck off,_ ” he snapped, shoving Neil away and Neil couldn’t hide his smile, he saluted Andrew on his way out.

The upperclassmen were on him the moment he was within reach, Matt tackling him in a hug and Allison already fussing with his hair. Dan grinned at him and Renee waved to Andrew through the window. 

“Thank _god_ you came to your senses, this is a disaster,” Allison muttered, tugging lightly on his hair. Neil waved her off as they started walking. 

“It’s _fine_ , I don’t see what the big deal is,” he said. Matt was still hanging off his shoulders, steering him down the street towards a building with a massive pair of scissors painted on the front. 

“Your definition of ‘fine’ is shit,” Dan said, and the others laughed. 

The salon--just like everything--was tiny. There were only two people working, both male. Someone else was sitting in a chair--a woman getting her hair trimmed. Neil didn’t pay her much attention as the upperclassmen shoved him inside in a burst of laughter and noisy comments. He was dumped in a chair a few down from the other woman, and the male worker came over. Before he could say anything though, Neil happened to look in the mirror, and he caught the other woman’s eyes. 

He caught Lola’s eyes. 

His blood froze and his mouth dried up. She grinned at him, and he tried to get up but the barber shoved him down and Neil looked in the mirror to see Romero holding a sharp pair of scissors and wearing a chilling grin. 

His heart was pounding in his ears and his mind racing, so he didn’t notice when the upperclassmen were speaking until they shook him. 

“Hey--” Matt said, laughing and completely oblivious. “Earth to Neil, you good buddy?” 

Neil was frozen, but Romero prodded him. “Yeah, you good there bud?” He asked, “You look a little pale.” 

Neil cleared his throat. “I’m fine,” he managed. 

The upperclassmen all laughed, except Renee, who was eying Romero like she knew something was off. 

Dan shook Neil’s shoulders. “Of course he’s fine--we were just asking what you want your cut to look like,” she said. 

“It’s all up to you, I’ll cut you any way you like,” Romero said, still grinning. Renee’s hand appeared on Neil’s and he jumped, only just then realizing he was gripping the arm of the seat so tight it was tearing through the vinyl. He avoided her searching gaze, instead throwing up a weak smile. 

“Thanks, I--I uh, don’t really care,” he said. 

“That’s great,” Romero said. 

“Yeah well I do,” Allison said, she grabbed Neil’s head and twisted it a bit. “Look,” she said, talking to Romero. She listed off some instructions Neil wasn’t listening to, he was too busy staring at the floor trying to come up with an escape plan. He happened to look up, Lola was pretending to chat with her barber, Jackson Plank. He shifted a bit, moving the apron to reveal a gun and Neil realized he wasn’t getting out of this without them getting their way. There was no way he could get all the Foxes out without them getting hurt, and that wasn’t an option. 

He jumped again when he felt Romero’s hands in his hair, yanking him back to start snipping away and Neil forced himself to stop tensing so much, Renee still looked concerned. 

“Neil--” she started. 

“I’m fine,” he said quickly. 

“Nervous?” Lola asked. 

“He’s weird about his hair, can’t really blame him though, he hasn’t had the best experiences,” Matt said, friendly as always. Lola smiled at him. 

“Understandable,” she said. “It’s a bold color though, natural?” 

Matt went to answer and realized he couldn’t, he looked back to Neil, who managed a curt nod. 

“Hey,” Allison said suddenly, glaring at Romero. “Where’d you learn to cut hair? I told you _one_ inch that’s like four,” she snapped. 

“Allison it’s--it’s alright it doesn’t matter,” Neil said quickly. 

She was still scowling. “It’s coming out of your tip,” she said. 

Romero looked like he was biting back his own scowl. “Sure thing,” he said. 

“Looks like you’ve got good friends,” Lola said. 

Neil’s hand went tight around the arm of the chair again. 

“We try,” Dan said, grinning. It faltered a bit when she noticed his hands, and she furrowed her brows in concern. “Neil--if this isn’t ok we can--” 

“No,” Neil snapped, a little more harsh than he’d intended and the others took a step back. He forced himself to relax again. “I’m fine,” he said. 

“Yeah, no, you’re not while you’re in this jackass’ hands,” Allison said, and she bumped Romero out of the way, snatching the scissors. “Give me that, idiot,” she said, going in to cut Neil’s hair herself. Neil stopped breathing as Jackson, Romero and Lola all tensed, but they didn’t do anything more than that until Allison finished and tossed the scissors down on the table in front of Neil. 

“C’mon, we’re leaving this shithole,” she said, yanking Neil up by his arm while glaring at the ‘workers.’ 

“Hey--wait,” Jackson said, he pulled out a card and handed it to Neil. “Sorry about that, he’s new, I’ll pay for this one and here’s a free cut if you want to come back,” he said. 

Allison laughed, “Yeah fuck that, bye,” she said, but Neil took the card, spotting something written in red ink on the back and he quickly stuffed it in his pocket. 

The other’s herded Neil outside, muttering to themselves about shitty service and idiots but Neil barely heard them. He felt like someone had poured an ocean in his ears and his mind was racing. _How had they found him? What did the card say? Was his father here?_ The last one made Neil sick, and he threw up on the sidewalk before he could stop himself. 

“Holy shit,” Dan said. 

“Neil!” Matt said. 

“Fuck,” Allison cursed, and Renee’s concerned gaze went dangerous. 

“Sorry--sorry I’m fine,” Neil said, wiping his mouth and trying to weakly push away from Dan and Matt who were holding him by the arm and on the back. 

“Neil I’m so sorry, we didn’t realize--” Dan started, they all looked guilty and Neil shook his head. 

“No, no, it’s not you guys, I needed that, it just--it was a lot,” he said, forcing himself to steady. They all pursed their lips and shared a look. “I think I just want to go back to the AirBnB.” 

“I’ll call Andrew,” Renee said, stepping away with the phone already to her ear. Neil wanted to tell her not to--that he’d just find his way alone, but he couldn’t figure out how to say the words. 

“Really, I’m sorry, we should’ve listened,” Matt said, rubbing Neil’s shoulder.

Neil managed a smile. “I know, it’s ok, thank you guys, I really--” he choked, realizing this was probably the last time he would see any of them, and was shocked at how much that felt worse than death. “I really appreciate you, all of you.” He said. 

They laughed nervously. “Jeez Neil, you hit your head or something?” Dan said.

“Yeah man, that was sappy as hell,” Allison said. 

Neil laughed weakly. “I just--I mean it,” he said, needing them to hear him, needing them to understand, needing them to know he wouldn’t be doing this unless he had no other choice.

Matt ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry about it man, we love you too,” he said. 

Andrew pulled up a few minutes later, he rolled down the passenger’s window, one hand on the wheel and the other holding a cigarette. He watched Neil with a blank face, and Neil couldn’t be more relieved. 

Neil shook the other’s off of him, smiling fleetingly, and promising to drink some water before he climbed in the car. He leaned out the window though, looking at them one last time, and said-- “hey and, stick together, alright?” 

They shared a laugh. “Anything for you bud,” Matt said.

Neil nodded, and then Andrew was driving. He didn’t say anything until they were parked in front of the house, and even then neither of them left the car. Andrew finished his cigarette and then lit another, offering it to Neil, who took a drag, trying to force his hand to stop shaking. 

“Renee said she didn’t think it was just Riko sending you into a meltdown,” Andrew said, breaking the silence. 

“Hm,” Neil said, breathing in smoke. Andrew reached over, grabbing the back of Neil’s neck and forcing him to look at him. 

“Neil,” he said. 

“Andrew,” Neil said, because it’s all he could say. 

“Use your fucking words,” Andrew said. 

“Thank you,” Neil blurted, Andrew frowned. “For everything.” And then he shook off Andrew’s hand and got out of the car, locking himself in his room he pulled the card out and stared at the front of it, the side with the salon’s information printed on it. He stared at it hoping the card would just burst into flames or he would wake up and this would all just be a horrible nightmare. 

But it didn’t, and it wasn’t, and he turned the card over. 

_See you at midnight, be ready Junior._

*☾*

Midnight ran at Neil like a train without brakes and he was glued to the tracks. It grew dark and Neil heard Kevin and Andrew both head to bed, Kevin watched tv for a while before passing out and Andrew was silent as always. 

At ten minutes to midnight Neil left through his window and sat on the porch of the house, waiting. He saw headlights coming towards him in the distance and he pulled out his phone, typing out a quick message to Renee before turning off his phone and setting it on the railing. 

_Tell Andrew to remember what I said._

Lola, Romero and Jackson pulled up and Lola got out of the passenger's seat. She grinned at Neil. 

“Hello Junior,” she said. “Nice to see you again.” 

“Fuck you,” Neil said, it just made her grin widen. 

“I’ve wanted to cut that attitude out of you your whole life,” she said. Neil’s heart was pounding. 

“You can’t touch them,” he said. 

“Won’t have any reason to if you’re with us.” 

He nodded, cast one last glance back to the house--to Andrew and Kevin, and stepped towards Lola. 

“Neil?” 

They both turned fast, spotting Joe of all people standing next to the house. He was frowning, looking between the two of them and Neil gritted his teeth. 

“You alright?” Joe asked. 

“Family emergency,” Lola lied easily, her smile melting from predatory to tired and kindly. “His mother’s taken a turn for the worse.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Joe said, he looked to Neil. 

“Cancer, it’s in her lungs,” Neil said. 

“Huh,” Joe said. 

“Come on Junior, we’d better be off,” Lola called, and Neil turned to follow her but Joe was suddenly at his shoulder, grabbing his arm. 

“I know you’re lying,” he said, and Neil tried to shove him away but he didn’t budge. “What’s going on,” he said, eyes flashing red. 

“We’re taking him to see his father,” Lola said, and then she frowned at herself, like she hadn’t meant to. She recovered quickly though, throwing up her mask again. 

“It’s none of your business,” Neil snapped. 

“You’re in my town, everything’s my business,” Joe said. 

“I’m not one of your family members, this doesn’t concern you so _fuck off_ and let me handle it,” Neil said, finally shaking Joe off him. 

“So if I yell right now, your friends aren’t going to worry?” 

Neil’s pulse spiked and he scowled. “ _Fuck. Off._ ” 

“Junior,” Lola snapped. “It’s time to go.” 

“I’m coming,” Neil said, but then the door to the house opened and Andrew was standing there. 

“Well, well, well,” Andrew said, slowly walking down the porch towards the group. 

“Andrew go back inside,” Neil hissed, desperate. 

Andrew ignored him and looked to Lola. “Who might you be?” 

Lola dropped her act entirely, scowling and pulled out a gun, pointing it right at Andrew. “Impatient,” she said, and she pulled the trigger. 

Neil moved before he could think, shoving Andrew out of the way by slamming his body into Andrew’s. The bullet buried itself in Neil’s chest and Lola screeched. Neil hit the ground in slow motion, his chest _burned_ , it was white hot like someone was pouring fire into his heart, and it made it impossible to breath. 

He blinked, choking, and Andrew was suddenly hovering over him. Neil vaguely heard the car pull away, and then Joe appeared too, his knuckles wet with blood. 

“You fucking idiot you fucking--” Andrew cursed, pressing his hand to the bleeding wound on Neil’s chest and he gasped in pain. “ _Fuck, fuck_ , fuck! Kevin!” Andrew yelled towards the house, then he looked back to Neil. “ _Don’t die, promise me that--don’t you dare fucking die you stupid fucking idiot_ ,” he snapped, and Neil lifted his hand to wrap it around Andrew’s wrist, holding as tight as he could. 

“Andrew--” he tried, but Andrew pressed his hand against Neil harder and Neil choked on the pain. 

“Fuck,” Joe said. 

“Call a fucking ambulance!” Andrew snapped. 

“It’s too late,” Joe said, somber. Neil choked on a laugh, he’d been ready to die painfully, but at least this way he didn’t have to see his father again. Blood bubbled up from his mouth and he coughed, breathing ragged. 

“ _Call the fucking ambulance or I’ll kill you_ ,” Andrew snarled. 

Joe started pacing. “It won’t be quick enough--listen--just-- _fuck_ ,” he said again, and then he stopped pacing and crouched down next to Neil. “Listen to me very carefully,” he started, and Andrew shifted like he was going to slit his throat but Joe looked up at him and his eyes flashed red, “Stop,” he ordered, and Andrew did. Neil felt cold, but Joe just looked back down to him. “Listen, we don’t have much time and this won’t make any sense but I can save your life. I can’t give you any details because you won’t understand and it’ll just waste time but let me save you.” 

Neil looked up at Joe, and then he coughed up more blood and looked to Andrew, who was still frozen and tensed like he was fighting against whatever Joe had done. He realized he couldn’t do anything in the state he was in, and it wasn’t like he had anything to lose, so he looked back to Joe and said-- “Do it.” 

Joe moved in a flash, shoving Andrew away and then Neil’s shoulder was on fire as he _bit_ him. Neil felt a scream bubble up, and then he blacked out. 

*☾*

He was in a car, driving west, his mother was beside him. The radio was playing softly and the car was warm, sunlight streamed through the windows and made Neil feel sleepy. He knew they were on their way to the other side of the country, driving out of Seattle. He was exhausted, the run in with his father had been close but they’d managed to get away and his mother--

He choked, realizing where he was but when he looked over she was clean, no blood, no scratches, her hair wasn’t even sweaty. He looked down at himself and found he was the same. Even the car was nice, like someone had scrubbed the memory clean. 

His mother looked over at him. “You feeling ok?” she asked, and it felt wrong--it felt so wrong because her voice was soft and her eyes were gentle and Neil wanted to tear off his skin. 

“Who are you?” he asked, pushing himself as far away from her as he could get. 

She smiled sadly. “I’m your mother,” she said. 

“No,” he said, and he tried to open the door, tried to throw himself out of the car and away from the stranger wearing his mother's face so _wrong_ , but the door was locked, and when he looked for the manual lock he couldn’t find it. He threw back his elbow to smash the glass but the not-Mary grabbed him and stopped him. 

“Abram,” she said, and Neil choked again. 

“Don’t fucking call me that,” he hissed. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, and he got the feeling it wasn’t just about the name. “I’m so sorry Abram,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I need you to know that I love you, that I’m sorry I did this to you, and you need to wake up.” 

Neil’s lungs felt like they were made of concrete. “Mom I don’t--” he croaked out, but she cut him off, cupping his cheek with her hand and smiling softly. She rubbed her thumb gently just under his eye and Neil wanted to tear himself away and scrub his face until he couldn’t feel her anymore. 

“You need to wake up Abram,” she said again, and then Neil blinked and the memory cracked. Outside the world went dark, headlights breaking through the inkinesss and the car was stained, moldy and stinking. Mary’s hand wasn’t on Neil’s cheek it was gripping the wheel white knuckled and she was holding her stomach, which was soaked in blood. 

His mother looked to him, her face grim and her tone snapping as she yelled, “WAKE UP.”

And Neil did. He woke up.

He woke up and _breathed_. 

The first thing he saw was every star in the sky, every leaf on the trees around him and a bug crawling up the wall of the house. Panic seized him as he breathed in again and he smelled _everything._ His head pounded as he heard _everything._ He could hear Joe’s heartbeat, and Kevin’s inside and _Andrew’s_. 

He looked over and saw Andrew was still frozen on the ground, he felt the rage and fear rolling off him in waves as he fought against Joe and Neil felt anger like he’d never felt before. He turned on Joe, roared and leapt at him, his hands elongated into claws and his mouth felt too full and he wanted Joe’s head _rolling_. 

Joe looked startled, but he dodged Neil and held his hands out like you would to a wild animal, which is what Neil felt like. 

“Neil--Neil you need to listen to me, I’m not against you,” he said. 

“Let him go,” Neil snarled, and Joe blinked, shooting a glance at Andrew. 

“Right, I will, I’m sorry--you just can’t attack me alright? I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. 

“ _Let him go_ ,” Neil snapped, and Joe’s eyes flashed red but he turned to Andrew. He didn’t even say anything but Andrew stood up, knives out. He shoved past Joe and grabbed Neil by the back of the neck and Neil sagged against him. 

He sucked in a breath and-- _oh._

Andrew smelled like cigarettes and blood and _warmth_. Like sitting in the sun for just a minute too long, like soaking in a bath, like having a hairdryer blasted directly in your face. Neil couldn’t get enough of it, he breathed in deeper and deeper. 

“Neil?” Andrew said, frowning and Neil felt _wild._

“What the fuck is happening?” he whispered. 

And then he felt it, a tug, and then a feeling that was a cross between an emotion and a word. It prodded at him and his head snapped to Joe. 

_Wolf wolf wolf_. 

Neil’s heart rate skyrocketed and panic closed around his throat. “Get out of my head,” he said, which made Andrew turn on Joe, who watched them calmly. 

_Calm calm calm._

_Wolf wolf wolf._

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Neil screamed, and then he ran. 


	2. Explanations / Fuck Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter kinda drags akjdf;asdkfj I feel like it's just a lot of expo dumping but it'll kick up soon!!! Plus more Green Creek-er's are gonna show up (lol don't worry this wasn't the end XD it's only the begining, muahahaha) 
> 
> Heads up, I've got some plans that will NOT follow the plots of either GC or AFtG so if you like canon compliance... oops. XD
> 
> Ok uh--oh right one last thing: hi :) thank you for reading <3

Neil ran, and he ran, and he ran. He should have been tired, he shouldn’t have been able to run for this long or dodge that branch or hear that rabbit scurrying out of his path but he could. 

He could also hear the quiet breathing and pounding footsteps of something big hot on his trail. The wind was against him so he couldn’t smell it but everything in him was screaming. 

_Hunted hunted hunted._

So he ran, and he ran, and he _ran._

Whatever was chasing him ( _JoewolfJoewolfJoewolf_ ) was gaining and Neil spotted it snaking around trees and leaping over logs. It was massive, hairy, and had eyes that made Neil’s heart stop. He realized there was no way he was going to outrun whatever it was and instead backed himself up against the bottom of a cliff, readying himself to at least go down with a fight. 

The thing emerged from the trees and stopped a few steps in front of him. It was a wolf, but not. It was bigger than any wolf could possibly be and it was pure white. Neil grabbed a stick and held it like a baseball bat. 

“ _Back the fuck off,_ ” he snarled. The wolf didn’t move, instead it sat down on its haunches and watched Neil. “ _Scram_ ,” Neil said. Again the wolf didn’t move. Neil took a step to the side, trying to edge his way out, but the wolf’s eyes flashed red. 

_Stay stay stay_. 

_They come._

It pulsed through Neil’s head and he flinched violently, nearly dropping his stick. 

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Neil yelled again. The wolf cocked it’s head, and then it tilted it back and howled. 

The sound chilled Neil to his core, and he shuddered as he heard countless others return the sound. 

His mind immediately went to Andrew, he’d left him by the house.

Andrew and Kevin. 

_They come._

_Stay stay stay._

Neil threw his stick at the wolf and bolted off back into the woods, back towards the house. He knew it was right at his heels but he just pushed himself to go faster. Without really thinking he sucked in a breath through his nose, the smells hit him like a truck. Dirt and leaves and rain and quiet little animals and blood beneath fur. 

Under all of it was what Neil was looking for. 

_Cigarettes, blood, and warmth._

He couldn’t figure out how to pinpoint where the smell was coming from, but he just headed back towards the house and assumed that it getting stronger was a good thing. He was stopped when another wolf suddenly crashed through the trees, skidding to a stop in front of him and Neil almost slammed right into it. 

It was entirely brown, almost black in the night and it’s eyes flashed orange. Neil heard the white wolf ( _JoeJoeJoe_ ) coming up behind him and he realized he was pinned. He snarled at the brown wolf without really thinking and it snarled back, it’s eyes flashing violet for a half second, but the beast shook it’s massive head and they went back to orange. 

Another wolf stalked up, this one was dark grey with splotches of white and black on its hind legs and it lolled it’s tongue out lazily, sitting back on its haunches and nudging the brown wolf with its nose. The brown wolf snapped back at it, and the grey one rolled over and yipped at the sky while rolling in the grass. 

“ _What the fuck_ ,” Neil whispered. 

And then Ox appeared out of the trees, he walked past the wolves like it was nothing, nudging the grey one a bit with his foot to get it to sit up and simply snatching his hands away when it tried to nip at them. 

“Neil, right?” Ox said. “We didn’t get much of a chance to speak.” 

There was another howl from farther off, it sounded like it was coming from the house and Neil’s heart jumped. He moved to run for it, but the brown wolf blocked him. 

“Don’t worry, they won’t hurt them, I promise,” Ox said. 

Neil didn’t really believe him but he didn’t have much of a choice, so instead he just scowled at the other man. “What the fuck did you do to me?” 

“Joe gave you the bite,” Ox said bluntly. 

“Is that supposed to explain? What the fuck does that mean? Why can I--why is everything--” 

“Enhanced senses,” Ox said. 

Neil tore his hands through his hair. “That doesn’t fucking explain _anything._ ” 

Movement made him snap his head up and he watched as the grey wolf seemingly melted out of it’s wolf form and into a man. Specifically the guy Neil had seen at the bar--Carter--he was still laying on the ground, propped up by his elbows and _completely_ naked. 

“Dude, you’re a werewolf,” he said. 

Neil blinked. 

He blinked again. 

That had _literally_ been the last thing he was expecting to hear. 

“Want me to shift again to prove it?” Carter asked. 

“Yes,” Neil said before he could think. Then he realized two wolves was better odds than three. “No--” he said, then he winced, who was he kidding, it was two fucking massive wolves. _Werewolves_. Neil wished he’d go back to having regular nightmares. “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?” he asked eventually. 

“We’re not magicians, clothes don’t shift with us, duh,” Carter said, like _Neil_ was the crazy person. He dragged a hand down his face. 

“This is the worst dream I’ve ever had,” he muttered. 

“Aha, I’m in your dreams?” Carter said, Neil scowled at him and his wiggling eyebrows. 

“Neil,” Ox said, taking a step forward. Neil quickly took one backwards, keeping the distance between them. “I know this seems crazy but--” 

Neil choked on a laugh, it was hysterical, and malicious but he couldn’t stop it. “ _Crazy?_ ” Neil kept laughing. He realized this must be it, the pressure must have finally gotten to him and he’d finally suffered a psychotic break. That or this was hell, and he really had died just to be tortured by obnoxious naked people and male-Renee’s. 

Ox, Carter, and the wolves shared odd looks, before looking back to Neil with concerned expressions. 

“Yeah that’s--” Carter made a clicking noise. “--Probably not a good sign.”

Suddenly there was a loud yelp from near the house, every head snapped towards the sound and Carter was back in his wolf form zipping away before Neil could blink. While the others were distracted Neil used it as the chance it was and sprinted after him, dodging around the brown wolf and running for the house faster than he’d ever run in his life. 

He burst out of the treeline, spotting Andrew backed against a tree, knives out and staring down a massive timberwolf with one of his other knives sticking out of it’s back. Neil watched the grey wolf-- _Carter_ \--knock the timberwolf aside and growl viciously at Andrew.

The timberwolf didn’t seem to like that, because it jumped up and knocked _him_ out of the way, which led to them snarling and snapping at one another until Carter knocked the wolf over and it yelped as the knife sticking out of it’s back hit the ground. 

Neil sprinted past them, grabbing Andrew’s sleeve as he ran and dragged him towards the house. They slammed the door shut and Andrew grabbed Neil by the hair and yanked him down so they made eye contact. 

“What the fuck is going on.” He bit out through clenched teeth. 

“I don’t know!” Neil snarled back. 

“Uh, guys?” Kevin said, voice tight with panic. He looked like he’d only just woken up and was staring out the window where Neil could just make out the orange eyes of the brown wolf peering in. “Please tell me you don’t see that?” 

“Shit,” Neil cursed, and Andrew dragged him to the middle of the room, dropping him on the couch with Kevin before he yanked the curtains closed and flipped off the wolf. 

“ _Fuck, fuck, they’re coming for me,_ ” Kevin said, he was milk-white and pulling on his hair as he stared at the ground. 

That got both Neil and Andrew to turn on him. 

“Kevin,” Andrew said dangerously calm. “What does that mean.” 

Kevin slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide and Andrew scowled. “Do you have to make it _so difficult_ to keep you alive?” he hissed. 

“I’m sorry--” Kevin said, looking wrecked. “I couldn’t tell anyone, they’d _kill_ me!” 

There was a knock on the door and Kevin flinched so violently he fell off the couch. Neil tried to run to his room to get the gun from his duffle but Andrew snagged the collar of his shirt and stopped him. 

“I have a fucking gun Andrew--” he tried. 

“You also have an open window, _idiot_ ,” he snapped. 

There was another knock. 

“You know there’s no fucking way we’re opening that door, just fuck off,” Neil yelled. 

“Y’know, I could be watching tv right now, or jacking off, or watching tv _and_ jacking off. I’m the mayor, I’ve got responsibilities,” Neil heard Carter say from the other side of the door. 

“Will you _shut up_?” Neil said shrilly. Both Kevin and Andrew furrowed their brows at him. 

“Can you hear them?” Kevin asked, and then his eyes widened as they caught on Neil’s shoulder. The shirt was stained with blood but there wasn’t a mark, the skin all completely healed where Joe had bitten into him so that the only indication it had happened was the destroyed state of his shirt. “No--” Kevin said, sounding shattered, and blue flooded through Neil so intensely he had to blink. Kevin grabbed him and shook him. “You have to fight it you have to--” 

Neil pushed Kevin off of him for now, distressed by his weird intensity. “I’m fine,” he said and Kevin collapsed to the floor and cradled his head in his hands. 

“ _Oh god_ ,” he said faintly. 

“Neil we just want to talk, we won’t hurt you,” Joe’s voice said, louder this time.

“Wow, you’re so convincing,” Neil said snidely, looking away from Kevin’s strange state to deal with the wolves. 

“He’s got a point, it is something a murderer would say,” Carter admitted. 

“Carter _shut up_ ,” a new voice said, it belonged to a man but Neil didn’t recognize it, he didn’t like the idea of more people surrounding them. 

“I’m just _saying_ , haven’t you seen any horror movie ever?”

“ _Carter_ ,” Joe snapped. 

“You know what, I’m just being a nusance, I should probably quit bothering all of you by just heading ou--fuck off Mark let me go!” 

“Ask them what pack they’re from,” Kevin said suddenly. Neil and Andrew both frowned at him and he scowled. “Just do it.” 

“What-- _this is so stupid_ \--” Neil muttered. “What pack are you from?”

“The Bennett pack, I am alpha Joseph Bennett and this is alpha Oxnard Matheson.”

“Hey, I thought you were a newbie,” Carter said, then he cursed as it sounded like someone smacked the back of his head. 

Andrew and Neil looked back to Kevin, who’d somehow managed to go more pale. “Oh god,” he said. He moved before either of them registered it, throwing open the door and tilting his chin up to expose his neck. Andrew and Neil grabbed him and tried to drag him away but Kevin shoved them off. 

“ _This is the heir of the alpha of all you fucking idiots,_ ” he snapped, which didn’t really explain anything but the wolves standing on their doorstep in human skin cocked their heads in unison. 

Joe spoke first. “Who are you?” 

The group’s nostrils all flared like they were trying to get a scent off of him, all leaning closer and shoving a bit at one another. 

“Kevin Day,” Kevin said, suddenly calm and diplomatic. It was a far cry from the heap he’d been on the floor just seconds ago and Neil and Andrew shared a look behind him. 

There wasn’t any recognition on the wolves’ faces, but they all looked to Joe, who was frowning. “Day,” he mused. “That sounds familiar...” He glanced to the stranger Neil had heard--Mark?--who just shrugged. He was tall, blond like Joe and Carter, but with a close-shaved head and a beard. He also had a raven tattooed on his neck, the wings extended and beak pointed up towards his chin. 

“You smell human,” Carter said.

“Gordo’s wards wouldn’t have let him in if he was otherwise,” Mark said. 

Carter smirked. “Aw, are you proud? Feel warm and tingly?” 

Mark shoved him and Carter fell backwards off the porch over the railing.

“How do you know about wolves?” Joe asked, ignoring them. 

“I was close with the Moriyama family,” Kevin said. 

Joe and Mark’s eyes widened, and from the ground below Carter went-- “Oh shit!” 

“Joe--?” Ox started, face scrunched up a bit as he turned to Joe. 

“It’s--” Joe faltered, bit his lip and then went on. “‘Alpha of all’ extends to countries. Dad was the U.S version, and Kengo Moriyama is the Japanese version.” He looked back to Kevin. “It is still Kengo, right? I haven’t gotten word he’s changed but we’ve been a bit preoccupied.” 

Kevin nodded. “It is, though, his health is in decline, there’s been--” 

“Ok,” Neil said, cutting them off. “Someone needs to explain what the fuck is happening _right now_.”

“You know who’s great at this talk _and_ back at the house where my nice cozy bed is?” Carter said, still laying in the grass with the timberwolf.

“Elizabeth,” Mark and Ox said at the same time as Joe’s “Mom.” 

They all sighed, and then looked back to Andrew, Neil and Kevin. 

“You should come with us.”

*☾*

Neither Andrew or Neil liked that idea but Kevin dragged them both along. They ended up walking down the road in front of the house, passing that blue house Neil had seen earlier and then coming to a massive mansion of a house. For a moment it reminded Neil of his father’s and his skin started to itch. 

Somehow, the wolves seemed to notice his discomfort and they shot him weird looks. Andrew dropped a hand on the back of Neil’s neck and he forced himself to breath. Baltimore was a long ways away and Nathan was human. 

As they came closer the wind changed and blew at him from behind the house and Neil was hit with a wall of scents. Wolves, it smelled like _wolves._ It only proved to make him more antsy, but when he hesitated Kevin kicked the back of his ankles. 

There were a couple of people standing on the porch, including an older woman who almost seemed to glow under the moon, and a grouchy looking man with tattoos of rose vines that completely covered his arms. As they came closer Neil realized he was also missing a hand and smelled faintly of ozone. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up, and he kept his distance, forcing Andrew and Kevin to do the same. 

“Great, this is exactly something I wanted to be woken up for,” the man said dryly. 

“Hello,” the woman said, gently setting a hand on the man’s shoulder to quiet him. She smiled kindly at the Foxes. “I am Elizabeth Bennett, I’m sure you’re very confused but--” 

“Will everyone stop fucking saying that? Yeah, yeah I’m confused but I want answers not cryptic pity,” Neil snapped. 

The man breathed a laugh, dragging a hand down his face. 

“This one says he’s with Kengo,” Carter said, appearing at Kevin’s side and nudging him with his elbow. Andrew put his knife to his throat, moving quicker now, and quieter, so he could actually catch them and Carter froze. The timberwolf growled and the other wolves went tense. 

“Do not touch,” Andrew said. 

“You got it man,” Carter said, and Andrew let the knife fall. His gaze dropped down to where Carter was holding the knife that had been in Timberwolf’s back. He held out his hand. 

“Give me back my knife.” 

Carter scowled, “No way, I pulled it out of his back, technically it’s his now, but there's no way I’m giving it to him, he’ll probably eat it.” Carter looked behind him to the timberwolf. “Idiot,” he said. The timberwolf growled. 

“You were the one attacking him,” Neil said. Andrew pinched the side of his neck and Neil hissed, glaring at him. 

“Yeah, why do you think he’s still alive?” Carter said, then he tossed the knife up so it spun and caught it, winking, “it’s a nice knife, thanks.” 

“ _Fucking--_ ” Neil tried but Andrew pinched him again. 

“You’re with Kengo Moriyama?” Elizabeth asked, her brow furrowed. 

“I’m not _with_ Kengo, I was--” Kevin cut himself off, licking his lips and furrowing his brow as he realized he didn’t know exactly _what_ he was. 

“He worked for Tetsuji Moriyama,” Andrew said bluntly. Kevin winced but he didn’t argue. 

“I know who Kengo is, but I’m afraid I’ve never heard of a Tetsuji,” Elizabeth said.

Kevin frowned. “Tetsuji is Kengo’s brother.” 

The wolves shared a look but none of them seemed to know who he was. 

“Interesting,” Elizabeth said, cocking her head slightly, “I have no idea who that is.”

“You part of that too?” The tattooed guys said, pointing to Neil. 

Neil spat, aiming for his feet and hitting the porch in front of him. “No.” he said. 

Kevin smacked the back of Neil’s head. “ _Show some fucking respect, he’s a Livingstone witch,_ ” he snapped. 

Neil just scowled. “You keep fucking saying shit like that and expecting me to know what the fuck you’re talking about and I _don’t_.” 

The guy--witch? _Witch?_ Neil wanted to tear his hair out--raised his brows. “Alright then, so matching tattoos are just a bonding thing? What, you miss the memo blondie?” 

“Don’t see how it’s any of your business,” Andrew said flatly. He’d put his knives away but his arms were folded and Neil knew he could have them out before anyone tried to do anything. 

“Oh boy, this is gonna be _fun_ ,” the guy said. 

“Gordo,” Elizabeth said, chastising. The guy--Gordo--put his hand up and Elizabeth looked back to the Foxes. “Why don’t we introduce ourselves, this is Gordo, the Bennett witch, Mark--” she pointed to the guy with the raven tattoo on his neck, “Ox, and my son’s Joe and Carter.” 

“Kevin,” Kevin said, stepping forward to introduce them. “This is Neil and Andrew.”

“Said he’s last name’s ‘Day’,” Mark said, and Elizabeth went pale. 

“Oh dear,” she said. The other’s all tensed, looking to Kevin like he was suddenly a threat and Neil and Andrew both stepped closer to him. Elizabeth only stepped off the porch though, reaching out like she wanted to touch Kevin but he took a flinching step back and Andrew got in the way. 

“Kevin, who was your mother?” Elizabeth asked slowly. 

Kevin swallowed, eyes darting around. “Why?” 

“Because I want to know if it was Kayleigh Day.” 

Kevin’s pale face seemed to be answer enough and Elizabeth took a long, deep breath and turned around. 

“I think we should have an early breakfast,” she said, disappearing into the house without further explanation. 

Everyone else hesitated, not sure what to do, and Neil saw Gordo watching Kevin with an odd look in his eyes. After a moment he sighed too and then followed Elizabeth, and the others took that as their cue to move.

Neil and Kevin looked to Andrew, who looked exhausted. After a moment though he shoved them both forward and they went inside. 

*☾*

The Bennett house wasn’t much different on the inside. It looked like old money and stank like wolves. Neil’s eyes darted around as he walked through it, the other’s had gone directly into the kitchen, passing through a massive living room filled with dark, polished wood and nice leather couches. The kitchen was big, but not big enough to fit all the people crammed into it, the wolves didn’t seem to notice. 

Someone had apparently grabbed them all clothes while the Foxes were lingering outside because thankfully they were dressed now, all buzzing around making breakfast. 

Gordo belined for the coffee machine while Elizabeth flicked on the stove and Mark stuck his head in the fridge to pass her eggs. She passed them over herself to Carter, who was sitting on the counter. Joe passed him a bowl at the same time as Ox handed him a fork and he started cracking the eggs to scramble them. Beneath him the timberwolf was curled up on the floor, flicking its tail out of the way as the other flitted around. 

Neil felt distinctly out of place as he stood with Kevin and Andrew in the doorway of the kitchen, the three of them hovering uncertainly. Andrew was doing the best job of looking unaffected, but Neil and Kevin were shifting from foot to foot and Neil’s eyes couldn’t stop darting around the house. 

Now that he was inside and away from the open air it felt suffocating. The walls seemed to make every noise echo and all the heartbeats pounding in Neil’s head made him sick. That wasn’t even mentioning the smells--it was overwhelming. 

Andrew grabbed the back of his neck again, pulling him close to hiss in his ear and Neil didn’t even hear him--he was too caught up in that _smell_. It was like a breath of fresh air and Neil wanted to curl up in it and die. 

That realization was so startling that Neil shoved Andrew away without thinking, scrambling backwards and stumbling over a table so he landed on the floor. Andrew looked like he’d been burned for a flash and Neil felt guilt bubble up but the expression was gone in the next second, Neil heard his heart rate spike and then slow. 

“No--no Andrew it’s not you I just--” Neil said quickly, pushing himself up. Then he realized he didn’t know what he was supposed to say. _You smell like the only thing in the world that could possibly calm me down right now and I never want it to go away?_

Then he realized the other’s had paused their cooking and they were all watching the exchange curiously. 

“You’re probably experiencing an overload,” Elizabeth said, frowning slightly as her expression pinched in concern. She came over to Neil and he scrambled back out of instinct, hitting the couch and then Andrew was in front of him. That made Elizabeth perk up a bit. “Neil,” she started, “is it a smell that’s bothering you?” 

Neil’s eyes darted around, everyone was staring at him, even Andrew. 

“I’m fine,” Neil said. Elizabeth beamed. “Why--what does that mean?” Neil demanded, his mind jumping to all the worst case scenarios.

Her eyes scanned Andrew for a moment, and her smile didn’t dull. “We’ll explain after breakfast.”

“Listen to me lady--” Neil snapped, standing up and stepping around Andrew. “My life is _fucked_ , I thought I was going to get tortued within an inch of my life and then patched up so it could happen _again_ , and instead I got shot and turned into a fucking _folktale_. You and your crazy ass family are going to sit down and explain what the fuck is going on _now_ or I’m going to leave and figure it out for myself.” 

“She said you were going to see your dad,” Joe spoke up suddenly, brow furrowed. 

Neil winced as he heard Andrew’s, “Did she now.” 

“Joe, would you go set the table please, I think we’ll eat inside today,” Elizabeth said. 

Neil ignored her, “Andrew--” 

“You told me you were done with the lies, so was she lying or were you?” Andrew cut him off. Neil didn’t say anything, and he didn’t move either. Andrew grabbed the collar of his shirt and spun him around. “ _Answer me Neil,_ ” he snapped. 

“She wasn’t lying,” Neil said. 

Andrew stared at him for a long moment, and then dropped him, taking a step back and wiping his hand off on his jeans while staring at the ground. Neil watched as the anger slipped away and he reverted to emotionlessness. It made Neil’s heart clench.

“He was supposed to be in _prison_ , I don’t know how they found me but--” 

“The barber, who were they really?” Andrew asked, cold. 

“Lola and Romero Malcolm, and Jackson Plank.”

“Which one is Renee?” 

“Lola.” 

“Huh,” Andrew said, eyes on the floor. 

“My father--” Neil cut himself off, remembering where he was and switched to German. “He’s supposed to be in prison, I would have known if he had gotten out and--”

“What?” Andrew snarled, “You would have told me? Stop lying.” 

“You’re right, I wouldn’t--I wasn’t going to. I told you when we made this deal you couldn’t help me.”

“So you figured you would just disappear and have that be it?” 

“You hate me, the team would recover. I couldn’t risk--” 

Andrew slammed Neil against a wall, cutting him off. “I told you to stop trying to protect me.” 

“And I never promised you anything.” 

The wolves were all staring, and Joe had stepped forward like he wanted to split them up but Kevin was holding out an arm to stop him. Neil was grateful, if Andrew was angry enough to actually be showing it there was no telling how he would react to the wolves getting in the way. 

“I don’t want to hear it,” Andrew said in the same language. “I didn’t ask.” 

“I don’t want anything, you can have it for free,” Neil said, he was glaring now, angry at Andrew for being so self destructive, and in the back of his mind he realized what a hypocrite he was but he ignored it. “I’m watching your back whether you like it or not. There’s nothing you can do about it, so either kill me or fuck off.” For a moment he thought Andrew was going to stab him, he felt anger rise up and then vanish. It was odd--before he’d noticed when Andrew crushed his emotions down and away, but now it was like Neil could _see_ them. But not quite see--it was like the feeling was vivid enough that it _felt_ like he was seeing. 

Andrew fist tightened where it was wrapped around Neil’s shirt. No part of Andrew was touching Neil though, they were almost nose-to-nose but there wasn’t any contact. “I won’t need to kill you, you’re evidently plenty good at making that happen on your own,” he said. 

“I would do it again,” Neil said. He meant for Evermore, he meant for the bullet, he meant for everything. 

“I hate you,” Andrew said, emotionless. “You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs.” 

“I’m not a hallucination.” 

“Romantic,” Carter said flatly, cracking the moment like taking a bat to a mirror. Andrew and Neil both turned on him, same as the other wolves.

“You can understand them??” Joe said. 

Carter shrugged, “I needed a language credit to graduate and I wanted to be able to evesdrop on Nazi’s before I kicked their asses. Turned out to be a waste of time though, all Nazi’s now are American.” Then he looked back to Andrew and Neil. “By the way I was being sarcastic, you guys are tragic.” 

Neil scowled and Andrew dropped him, taking a step back. 

“Says the wolf with a pet wolf,” Neil snapped. 

Carter looked offended and the timberwolf growled. “ _He’s_ the one that won’t leave _me_ along so fuck off--I hate him,” Carter said. The timberwolf bit his foot and then coughed violently, like it was choking on the taste. “Fucking bastard, you’re just proving my point,” Carter snapped, kicking the wolf, who huffed something that might have been a scoff.

Neil’s headache wasn’t going away.

“Eggs are ready!” Elizabeth said, handing a massive plate of them to Carter, who rolled his eyes but hopped off the counter and went into the dining room. “Shall we eat? Help yourself to coffee, sugar should be on the counter and cream is in the fridge.” 

The wolves followed her and Carter out of the kitchen, Mark carrying a massive plate of butter toast that had apparently gotten made and Ox holding another plate with a mountain of bacon. Kevin took a step like he was going to accept the coffee offer but Andrew grabbed him by the back of his shirt and shoved him towards the dining room. 

The others had already sat down, eagerly digging into the food and scooping portions on their plates. The only one’s not eating were Gordo and Elizabeth. Gordo was leaned back in his seat, sipping on his coffee and watching the Foxes as they came in while Elizabeth beamed at her family and motioned for the Foxes to sit down. 

Neil and Kevin hesitated, but Andrew pulled out a chair on the far end of the long table and sat down, so they followed. None of them reached for the food even when Joe pushed it towards them. 

Neil crossed his arms and glared down the table. “I’d like that explanation now,” he said. 

Elizabeth sighed and nodded, propping her elbows up on the table and folding her hands together while leaning over the table towards Neil. “I’m going to assume you don’t know anything about wolves,” she started. Neil didn’t correct her. “So to start from the beginning, they exist. Do you have any questions?” 

Neil scowled. “That’s not--” 

“What does that mean?” Andrew asked, cutting off Neil’s sharp remark. 

“Being a wolf?” Elizabeth asked patiently, Andrew kept watching her. “It means you now have two forms, a wolf and a human. You also can do what we call a half-shift--" 

"Which he did,” Joe said, sounding grim. For some reason it made the other's give Neil odd looks that made his skin itch.

Neil opened his mouth to snap and Andrew kicked his ankle. 

“Being a wolf means a lot of things,” Elizabeth continued, as though her son hadn't spoken. “You have increased strength and senses which you will learn to control and hone. They can be quite a lot to handle at first but you’ll get the hang of it.” 

“You do get used to it,” Ox spoke up. Everyone looked to him when he started speaking, like he was a magnet switching on and they were paperclips. “The hearing was hardest for me, all the heartbeats.” 

“Ox has more understanding of your situation, my family as well as myself were all born wolves so for us this is how life has always been.” 

Neil’s stomach rolled. “You mean I can’t turn it off?” 

Elizabeth’s expression pinched with sympathy. “I’m afraid not.” 

“Why hasn’t he full-shifted?” Kevin asked. 

“Thought you were the wolf expert,” Gordo said, speaking for the first time since the porch. 

Kevin scowled, “I’ve only been around born wolves.” 

“He won’t be able to fully shift until the full moon, and even then you might get it on your first try, it’s tricky, and you’ll need something called a tether,” Elizabeth said, touching Gordo’s shoulder lightly. 

“You mean I’m going to turn into a wolf?” Neil said. His mouth was dry and his heart was racing. 

“You will learn to control it, do it on command, as long as you are tethered getting stuck is very difficult,” Elizabeth explained patiently.

A realization struck Neil and he wanted to throw up. “Will I be able to force people to do things?” 

Her brow furrowed, and Joe’s expression turned guilty as she frowned at him. 

“Joseph Bennett,” she said seriously. 

“They didn’t give me any choice!” He said. Her look didn’t falter and he sank into his chair, arms crossed as he pouted like a child. “Ox did it too.” 

“I’ll be speaking to _both_ of you later,” she said, turning back to Neil. “No, you won’t be able to.” 

Neil felt relief pour through him, the sensation only intensified when he felt Andrew loosen beside him as well. 

“That is a power reserved for alphas,” she continued. “Ox, Joe, and my late husband are alphas. They are leaders, usually stronger, and hold the responsibility of protecting and leading their pack. Wolves who aren’t alphas are called betas.” 

“So the eyes…?” Neil started. 

She smiled. “Orange for betas, red for alphas.” 

Neil felt a rush of excitement despite the situation and he turned to Andrew. “Are they orange?” 

Andrew shoved his head away. “No, junkie.” 

“It’s not permanent, but it’s also something you can control,” Elizabeth said. 

“And violet?” Andrew asked, recrossing his arms and giving Elizabeth an expressionless look. 

She hesitated. “Violet means omega,” she said. “If you don’t have a tether or a pack to remind you of your humanity you lose it to the wolf.” 

“And you die,” Kevin said bluntly. 

The wolves all frowned. “Uh, not so much,” Carter said. 

“You can’t survive the--” Kevin cut himself off when the timberwolf looked up and flashed it’s violet eyes at him. Kevin was out of the chair so fast he knocked it over as he scrambled away. “That’s--that’s not possible--” he stammered. 

“Kevin,” Elizabeth said suddenly. “Was that something Kengo told you?” 

“If you aren’t born a wolf you aren’t--you can’t handle the tethering, it needs to be instinctive or it’s not strong enough,” Kevin said, almost like he was reciting.

“You know, you should tell that to like, _everyone_ in Green Creek, I think at least more than half the people here are Omegas,” Joe said. 

“It must be a recent development, I’ve been… out of touch,” Kevin said. 

The wolves shared a look. “Nope, this is pretty normal, people take the bite all the time. The hardest part is finding humans you trust enough to become part of the pack,” Carter said. 

“Does that mean Neil’s not going to die?” Kevin whispered, the other’s looked concerned. 

“No one is going to _die_ ,” Gordo said, his tone reminded Neil of Wymack, gruff but with the intention of soothing. “His first shift is going to suck and he’ll have to get used to smelling ass from a mile away but he’s going to be fine.” 

Kevin collapsed back into the chair and Neil felt surprised. He genuinely hadn’t realized Kevin would be so affected by his death and for a moment he wondered if all the Foxes would react the same. The thought was a bit overwhelming, and his throat felt like it was closing up. 

It also made him remember the other Foxes, and he realized he had no idea what he was going to tell them. And then--

“I can’t play anymore can I,” Neil said slowly. 

“Play?” Elizabeth asked. 

“Sports team, uh--” Carter said, squinting his eyes to remember. 

“--Exy,” Kevin finished for him, he’d gone pale. 

“Why wouldn’t you not?” Joe asked. 

“It’s collegiate, they broadcast our games,” Kevin said. 

The group was quiet and Neil took that as the answer it was. 

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said, sounding sincere. 

_I give up everything only to get another secret._

“Neil,” Andrew said, snapping his fingers in his face. “Yes or no?” 

“Yes,” Neil choked out and Andrew’s hand was on the back of his neck. It was grounding but Neil felt like he was made of air. Like his whole being would just dissipate into the air. He couldn’t get enough air, the heartbeats around him felt like they were drilling into his head and the walls were closing in. “Junkie,” Andrew muttered and Neil let out a strangled sounding laugh.

“ _I need to-_ -” he started, but Andrew’s grip tightened. 

“Stay,” he said. 

*☾*

Neil stayed, he listened as Elizabeth explained everything and soon the sunlight was shining through the windows, warming everything. He felt numb and detached but Andrew hadn’t let go and Neil hadn’t run.

Elizabeth explained that he would need to be with them for his first shift, the full moon was in three days and a clock started ticking down in Neil’s head. Technically, he already couldn’t play anymore but the shift felt like the real point of no return. 

When she finished the others had begun clearing their plates. Neil could hear some of them running the sink as they washed dishes and laughed at one another. It made Neil ache more. She tried to speak with Kevin alone but Andrew wouldn’t allow it and eventually she gave up, saying they’d done enough talking and told Kevin they would speak later. 

Neil was glad, he wanted to be out of the house, he wanted to be out of this town--the _state._ He knew he should hotwire a car and drive to the next town, hitch a ride into Reno where he knew his mother had contacts and stashes. He knew he should have a new identity, a new face, a new name--seven by now. He could be in Montana this time tomorrow, find an abandoned hunting cabin and get his bearings back. 

But that wasn’t what he _wanted_. 

What he wanted was the Palmetto court, what he wanted was an exy racquet in his hands and sweat dripping down his brow as he dodged a Belmonte striker. What he wanted was Riko’s face when he scored the goal that could slam his coffin shut and win the Foxes the championship. 

He ached, but he only let himself feel it for as long as he sat at that table, and when he got up he folded the feeling away and tossed it on the fire burning the rest of his ghosts. The one eating at the remains of a dirty car on a California beach. He let himself wallow, and then closed the curtain and straightened. 

_Abram._ His mother whispered, but he was already leaving.


	3. Silver Stings / Dead Rats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> eheheehehhehehehe >:3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note: kinda goin' thru it rn so I didn't have the energy to actually edit this. I'll probably go thru tomorrow but I just wanted to post it so boom. (btw I'm fine don't worry! :) stuff's just a lil more stressful rn--fucking pandemic--but it'll all work out.)

Kevin, Andrew and Neil went back to their AirBnB silently. Only Kevin had gotten any sleep at all but they still made coffee and stood in the kitchen with blank expressions as they drank, each deep in their own thoughts. 

Neil wanted to go for a run but Andrew was making him wait for Renee to show up and go with him. It was mostly because of the wolf thing but also because on their walk home a squirrel had run across the street and Neil had bolted after it without a single thought and nearly got run over. 

When he caught it and realized he had a handful of squirrel he’d just dropped it because he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it or why he’d even run after it in the first place. 

It was frustrating, because it felt like whatever _thing_ was inside of him had shredded his--admittedly already minor--impulse control. He didn’t know how to describe it either, the _thing._ It wasn’t like a physical creature curled up in his chest but more of an ever present hand holding each and every nerve in Neil’s body, ready to squeeze at any moment and sent energy jolting through him. It made him feel tense, wound up and at the same time he was exhausted. 

He remembered what Elizabeth said, about the eyes, and focused for a moment on them. He stared at a spot on the floor, unfocusing and focusing them. He wasn’t sure _how_ you changed your eye color, or if it would make any difference in his sight, but focusing on it kept his mind from running away too much. 

After a moment he squinted at Kevin. 

“Are they orange?” he asked, Andrew scoffed from behind his mug but Kevin shook his head. 

Neil gritted his teeth and tried again, still nothing. 

“Junkie,” Andrew said, and Neil shot a glare at him. 

“There,” Kevin said, and Neil’s heart spiked despite himself. “It just flickered.” 

“Do I have to be mad?” Neil asked. 

Kevin shrugged. “Most the pack used it as a warning.”

“Is Riko one?” Andrew asked, effectively killing the mood. 

“No,” Neil and Kevin said at the same time. Neil felt bile rise up as memories of Easthaven flashed through his mind. “I would have noticed,” Neil said. 

“Yes or no,” Andrew asked, suddenly in front of Neil, who managed a _yes_ and Andrew’s hand was on the back of his neck. Neil breathed in more on instinct than anything else, so used to having to try to catch the tails of Andrew’s last cigarette, but now it was so easy. The smell enveloped Neil and it was like standing under a perfectly hot shower. 

_The burning smoke of cigarettes, the metallic tang of blood, and warmth._

Andrew pried Neil’s hands off from where they’d become tight around his own wrists, proving they weren’t shackled, that they weren’t pressed to the floor or being wrenched backwards. Andrew’s thumb pressed almost painfully into Neil’s pulse point and he held it up to Neil’s face. 

“You’re here,” he said. 

“I’m fine,” Neil said, and was almost surprised at how much he meant it. He felt surprisingly steady, and with another breath his head cleared. “Andrew, back at the house that wasn’t--” 

“Shut up,” Andrew said, dropping his hands and taking a step back. Neil felt cold immediately, but he didn’t step forward, letting Andrew have his space. 

“It wasn’t you, I promise,” Neil said. “It’s just--” again he couldn’t find the words to explain what had happened, what was _still_ happening. Luckily he was saved when Renee knocked on the door. Neil’s head snapped towards it immediately and by the time he looked back Andrew was in the living room. He growled in frustration, ignoring the weird look Kevin was giving him, and hurried to the door, slipping on his shoes as he went and snagging his coat from the hook. 

Renee beamed at him when he opened the door, her short hair was pulled back out of her face in a tiny ponytail and she was wearing black athletic leggings and her Palmetto windbreaker. 

“Ready?” she asked, and Neil shot a glance back inside but Andrew had his back turned, watching tv and Kevin was pouring another cup of coffee. 

“Yeah, lets go,” he said, and they set off. 

All things considered Renee wasn’t a bad running partner. She tried to strike up a conversation once or twice but Neil just grunted in answer and she got the message. She kept up well too, but Neil still had to slow his pace a bit as they lapped Green Creek the second time. They stopped for water at a fountain next to the public bathrooms by a little park. It was a little ways from the town itself, and Neil hoped that meant they wouldn’t run into anyone.

“So,” Renee said while Neil was drinking his fill. “Everything go alright last night?” 

“Don’t know why it wouldn’t,” Neil said. 

“Neil,” Renee’s tone was patient but firm. Her version of _cut the bullshit._

“The workers at the salon reminded me of some people I’d rather never think about again,” Neil said. It wasn’t totally a lie, just, not the full truth. 

Renee pursed her lips like she didn’t buy it, but Neil started running again and she didn’t push it.

“If you need to talk…” she said. 

He offered her a small smile, it felt real. “Thanks,” he said. 

“Hey!” a voice called out, and they both looked over to see the woman from the diner--Jessie--waving them down as she climbed out of a pickup with a cracked windshield. Neil moved to keep running but Renee grabbed his arm and stopped him, smiling at Jessie. 

“Good morning,” she called as Jessie walked over. 

“Morning, I saw you guys running a ways back, thought I’d catch you eventually,” she said with a laugh. She had a brown paper bag in one hand and a crowbar in the other. “My brother wanted me to bring him his lunch, he works at Gordo’s,” she explained when she spotted Neil eyeing the bag. He breathed in, surprised that he was able to confirm her statement, the bag smelled like plastic and peanut butter. “Heard you guys got into some fun the other night,” she added. 

“We already got warned off Gordo’s, thanks,” Neil said flatly. 

She laughed easily. “He’s not the only one you have to worry about if you make a habit of messing with this town,” she said. 

Neil was on edge instantly, and he started to turn away. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. She waved with the hand holding the lunch and Renee offered a polite farewell, but just as they started off she called out to them again. 

“Catch this for me,” she said, and Neil reached out instinctively, snagging the crowbar out of the air before it could hit his chest. He meant to glare at her, but before he could do anything the crowbar caught fire. 

Or, that’s what it felt like. It seared his skin and Neil was tossed back into the house with his father pinning him to the ground with a ripping hot iron on his shoulder. He dropped the crowbar, but Jessie caught it before it hit the ground, hooking it around the back of his neck and yanking so that he fell forward on his face. 

Everywhere the bar touched was white hot and Neil gritted his teeth against a scream--his eyes watering at the hit to his nose. He rolled to the left and her boot landed inches from where his head had just been. He looked up and saw her grinning down at him as she pulled her boot up again. 

Neil shoved himself up, quickly turning to face her again but she was preoccupied as Renee joined the fight. Renee moved like a viper, every movement calculated and fluid. She threw a punch to Jessie’s solar plexus that Jessie managed to catch. Renee wasn’t done though, and she followed up by hooking her leg around the back of Jessie’s knees, knocking the other woman down. 

She followed, trying to pin her but Jessie managed to roll over and bring her elbow up, slamming it into Renee’s shoulder and knocking her off. Renee recovered, rolling out of the fall and into a crouch, but Jessie was already diving for her again and they fell to the ground in a mess of powerful punches and pin attempts. Neil looked around for something, but the only weapons were the sack lunch and the apparently magical crowbar. He glanced back to Renee, who grabbed Jessie’s ponytail and threw her off herself. Jessie was up quick though, and Renee looked more serious than Neil had ever seen her. 

He didn’t hesitate, barely gave himself enough time to steel himself before he picked up the crowbar. It was searing against his skin but he ignored it, swinging for Jessie’s head. She twisted at the last second, bringing up her shoulder and catching most of the impact there, but the blow was enough to send her sprawling and give Renee ample time to successfully pin her down. 

Neil dropped the crowbar immediately, hissing in pain and cursing as his palms sizzled, the skin bright red and already bubbling up with blisters.

“Neil are you--” Renee said, she didn’t sound panicked, just focused--dangerous. It proved Neil right about not trusting her at first, but that thought was very, very far in the back of his mind as he cradled his hands. 

“I’m _fine_ ,” he snapped, cutting her off. 

“Well shit,” Jessie said from under Renee, her face pressed into the grass and her arms twisted behind her. 

“Why did you attack us?” Renee asked. She was bleeding from the side of her mouth and Neil could see a bruise starting on her cheek. Jessie fared about the same, with a cut on her forehead that was staining the grass.

“And what the fuck is that crowbar made of?” Neil added, biting his lip against a moan as the wind kicked up and blew against the burn on the back of his neck. 

“Silver,” Jessie said. “We haven’t had the best experience with unfamiliar wolves, especially violent ones,” she said, sounding surprisingly calm for being pinned to the ground. 

“Wolves?” Renee said, and Neil groaned. 

“Your stupid town is the reason I’m even in this position in the first place!” Neil snarled. 

“Yeah, because I haven’t heard that one before,” Jessie scoffed. 

“What? Do you want me to prove it? Just call one of the other weirdos and ask them, ask that-- _fuck_ what’s his name, with all the tattoos??”

“Gordo?” 

“Yeah!” Neil said, he was entirely at the end of his rope. He wanted nothing more than to run until he exhausted himself and then pass out somewhere and never wake up. “He was there last night, he’ll tell you.” 

Jessie thought it over. “Fine,” she said, and she wiggled. “Mind letting me up?” Renee looked to Neil, and he just sighed and nodded, so she reluctantly let go of Jessie and stood up. “Thanks, you are, _excellent_ by the way, I really hope I don’t end up having to kill you,” she added, smiling arrogantly. 

Renee gave her a wry smile. “Thank you,” she said. 

“Gordo?” Neil interrupted, and Jessie blinked, looking away from Renee and jerking her head in the direction of town. 

“He’s at the shop, c’mon,” she said, picking up the sack lunch and her crowbar and leading them back to her truck. Neil wasn’t about to be trapped in the cab with her, so he opted to sit in the bed for the ride while Renee rode up front.

The ride was short, but Neil stewed the entire way, fuming by the time the truck pulled to a stop in front of the shop and he could hop out. He barely waited for the women, instead storming into the garage through the open door. 

“HEY ASSHOLE!” He called, causing the four men milling around the shop to look up at him. He recognized Ox, who was now covered in smears of grease and holding up a car’s engine while another man messed with something on the bottom of it who had darker skin than the others and his coveralls were tied around his waist, leaving just a dirty tank top. Another man rolled out from underneath another car, he had brown hair and a half-scowl on his face and the last guy was digging through the grimy, overcrowded looking shelves at the back of the shop. 

“Gordo! I’m sure that’s for you!” the guy with Ox said, making the other two laugh. Neil could read the names stitched into their uniforms--Tanner and Chris. 

“Neil?” Ox said, nearly dropped the engine to come over, and the guy with him cursed colorfully in spanish. 

“C’mon _alfa_ watch it--I bruise easy,” he said, and Ox winced. 

“Uh,” Robbie said from where he was poking his head into the garage from the lobby, he pushed his glasses up and looked sheepish. “Hey again,” he said. 

“You know this kid?” Chris said from the floor. 

“ _Lobito!_ ” the guy with Ox said, sounding scandalized. “You can’t have your side pieces comin’ into work! That’s just unprofessional.” 

Robbie rolled his eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter Rico,” he said. 

“I don’t think that’s physically possible anymore,” Tanner said, making the others laugh. 

“Hey,” Neil snapped, not in any mood to deal with strangers. “Fuck you,” he said to Rico, who threw his head back an laughed. Neil looked to Ox, “You’ll work too--just tell--” 

“Oh great,” Gordo said, cutting him off as he came to lean against the doorframe to what Neil assumed was his office. He gave Neil a flat look as he crossed his arms. “What do you want?” 

“Tell _her_ to quit trying to fucking murder me!” Neil snapped, pointing to Jessie behind him. 

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen, it’s like telling a pelican to get a smaller bill,” Rico said. 

Chris stood up though, his scowl deepening. “What did you do?” 

“Nothing!” Neil growled, and all their heads cocked at the same time. He realized it was probably because his eyes were flashing orange.

“Neil, calm down, there’s--” Ox started and Neil lost his rope entirely. 

“ _Tell me to calm down and I swear I’ll tear your fucking throat out,_ ” he growled. 

The mirth drained from the room as they all shifted like they were readying for a fight. Neil knew he couldn’t take them all, he’d run if anything got bad, but they didn’t need to know that. Right now he was _pissed_. He’d been ready to die last night, and instead he’d turned into a fucking werewolf and he was never going to be able to play exy again _and_ he had yet another secret tearing him away from the Foxes. He was tired, and hungry, and strung too tight and every word spoken was like nails on a chalkboard. 

“Neil,” Renee started--soft, patient, it made it worse. “Should I--” 

“No!” he said, whirling around on her. She didn’t flinch, didn’t even shift her expression and for that he was grateful, but the rage was still pounding through him. “I’ll deal with this _myself_.” 

“What happened to your hands?” Gordo asked suddenly, his brow was furrowed and he was frowning.

Neil scowled at him. “Crowbar,” he said. Gordo’s eyes shifted to Jessie, who held up her hands. 

“He’s a wolf that we didn’t know about, who somehow managed to get past your wards and his posse attacked Robbie,” she said, unrepentant. 

“Oh, so you’re the cunt,” Tanner said, he was holding a massive lug wrench and looking pretty threatening. Neil snarled at him. 

“That wasn’t how that went,” Robbie said quickly. “Kelly overreacted, I didn’t even get hurt--it was just a misunderstanding.” 

“Huh,” Chris said, looking unconvinced. 

Robbie frowned at Neil though. “You weren’t a wolf yesterday,” he said, and then his nostrils flared like he was smelling, his frown deepened and he looked to Ox. 

Gordo dragged a hand down his face, sighing heavily. “C’mon kid, I’ve got a first aid kit,” he said, waving his hand lazily in a gesture for Neil to follow him. It made Neil’s skin itch--the thought of passing three obviously unhappy older guys to stand away from his only exit next to a guy who was apparently a _witch._ He didn’t know exactly what that entailed but he didn’t like the idea of being trapped in a room with him. 

Gordo seemed to realize this, because he sighed again. “Fine, stand there, give me a sec,” he said, disappearing into the office. Neil moved to leave, but Renee blocked his path. 

“Those really need to be looked at Neil,” she said.

“I’m fine,” she said. 

“No, you’re not,” Gordo said, reappearing with the kit. He pulled a stool out of nowhere and sat down in front of Neil.

“You’re a real piece of work aren’t you _gato,_ ” Rico said. 

“Don’t call me that,” Neil hissed. 

He just smiled, “You got it _gatito_.”

“Hey--look at me,” Gordo said, snapping his fingers in Neil’s face and making him flinch back, ducking his head to avoid the swing he was expecting. Gordo sighed again, looking like he was getting a migraine, and held out his hands. “Give em,” he said.

Neil didn’t, Gordo glared. “Do you want it to scar?” 

“It’s going to anyways,” Neil said. 

Gordo rolled his eyes. “An expert in burn scars are you?” 

“Fuck off,” Neil said, the iron mark itching on his back. 

“Listen kid, give me your fucking hands so I can patch you up before you lose all your nerve endings,” he said, tone biting and Neil bit his tongue against a flinch. The guy had a point, but Neil didn’t see how he planned on fixing charred nerve endings with a molding first aid kit. He said as much and Gordo gave him a flat look. “First--it’s not molding so shut up, second, I’m a witch jackass.” 

Neil eyed him, and reluctantly put his hands out. He still jumped when Gordo grabbed his wrist to keep his hand in place as he used his other hand to hold over Neil’s palm. The tattoos on his arm glowed and the rose vines writhed and bloomed as the raven perched near his elbow flapped its wings. The scent of ozone Neil had picked up earlier sharpened, and all the hair on the back of Neil’s neck stood up as he almost expected an arc to crash out of the sky and blast him to bits. 

His palm itched fiercely as Gordo healed it before moving on. By the time he’d finished his eyelids looked heavier and the rose vines looked like they were strangling his arm but he didn't say anything. Neil went to shake him off but his grip stayed firm as his eyes caught on where his hoodie rode up, revealing the still-healing marks around his wrists from the cuffs.

“You know,” he said. “That looks like--” 

“--None of your business,” Neil snapped, yanking his hand away and pulling his sleeves down. 

“I was going to say ‘rope burn’ actually, but to each their own,” he said flatly. 

“Neil, are you alright?” Ox asked, he was still holding the engine like it was nothing. 

“I’m _fine_ , I’d be better if people stopped asking me stupid questions,” Neil snarled. Then he heard the sound of the maserati and he groaned, turning on Renee. “ _Why did you call him?_ ” he snapped. 

“I wanted a ride back to the hotel,” Renee said calmly, Neil scowled, but she just smiled.

Neil smelled the cigarette before he saw Andrew, he walked up with the stick between his fingers and his expression empty. He scanned Renee, and then Neil, going to put his hand on the back of his neck when he spotted the burn. 

“ _Twenty minutes_ ,” Andrew sneered at Neil before he looked to Renee. “You’re not allowed to babysit anymore. Who was it?” 

“I’ve heard about your morality thing,” Jessie said, stepping forward. She held out a hand in a ‘come on’ gesture. “I messed him up, almost feel bad about it too, I’ll give you one hit for fr--” 

Andrew drove his fist into her gut before she finished, and her words cut off by a surprised choke. Andrew brought the cigarette up and took a drag as he watched Jessie hold her stomach and struggle to breath for a second. The other’s all jumped forward like they were going to attack but Jessie held up a hand. She breathed a strained laugh and straightened, a feral smile on her face as she grinned at Andrew. 

“Thanks for not pulling it,” she said. “I would have been pissed.” 

Andrew didn’t react, just dropped the cigarette butt on the floor. He didn't even bother to stomp it out as he grabbed Neil by the shirt and dragged him outside. 

“ _I want to finish my run_ ,” Neil snarled, trying and failing to shake Andrew off of him. 

“Sure, maybe this time you can antagonize someone into breaking your kneecaps and when you call I will leave you to crawl back to the house,” Andrew drawled. 

“I didn’t even _do_ anything.” 

“You would think someone so obsessed with going unnoticed would avoid conflict, but you seem to actively seek it out.” 

Neil finally managed to get ahold of Andrew’s wrist and he shoved him away. “ _Fuck off_ ,” he snapped. 

Andrew didn’t look impressed. “You’re being an idiot.” 

Neil gritted his teeth, “ _You are so-_ -” his words fizzled out as he mimed strangling Andrew, frustration and anger overwhelming him. 

“It’s mutual.” 

“I have had _the worst_ day of my life so far, and that’s saying a lot--” 

“I wouldn’t know since you don’t tell me.” 

“I told you everything!” 

“Lies don’t count, _Nathaniel._ ”

The frustration melted and poured like liquid rage through Neil and he went perfectly still. 

“Oh shit, you fucked _up,_ Blondie,” Rico said from where the other’s were all leaning out of the garage to watch the exchange.

Neil turned to leave and Andrew caught his arm but Neil shook him off. “Don’t fucking touch me,” he snapped, and he ran off. 

For some reason he found himself in the woods, racing past trees and bushes and jumping over streams. He ran until his lungs felt like they were on fire and his legs felt like they were going to give out on him. And then he ran more. 

He burst out into a road before he knew it, nearly getting flattened by a semi that blared its horn at him. He looked up and realized he’d run all the way to the next town. He was breathing heavy and exhausted, but he knew he had to get back before he passed out so he started following the road and stuck out his thumb. 

After about an hour an older lady in another semi pulled off and offered him a ride. He took it without speaking, not even bothering to try and keep friendly so she didn’t toss him out. She didn’t seem to mind though, and turned up the radio, which was blasting some annoying oldies hits. He tuned it out and stared out the window until they passed the ‘Welcome to Greek’ sign.

*☾*

He told the lady to drop him off before the turn into town and when he hopped out he almost collapsed as his legs refused to work. She gave him an odd look but he just ignored her and stumbled his way into the town. He found himself in front of the hotel before he could think, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket as he stood out front. 

He waited for it to turn on, and then pressed the first name on the list, putting the phone to his ear as he waited for Matt to pick up. 

“Neil?” he said. 

“Which room are you guys in?” Neil asked, his voice sounded croaky and like shit. 

“Are you outside? Do you want--oh I see you, one sec I’ll be right down,” Matt said, and Neil saw a curtain flutter from up above. He flipped his phone closed and didn’t move until Matt appeared. He vaguely remembered being ushered into an elevator and into a hotel room, but he collapsed on the bed and passed out before he could do anything. 

*☾*

He woke up slowly, listening to the quiet sound of the tv playing behind him. He was laying face first on the hotel bed, still exactly where he’d collapsed, but it was dark outside now and he could feel the mattress dipping from where the others were laying around him. His arm was asleep and when he shifted to get more comfortable the burn on the back of his neck pulled and he groaned. 

“Hey man, you up?” Matt said softly. Neil groaned again, not moving.

The others shared a quiet laugh. Neil could hear--and _smell_ he realized--Dan and Allison with him. Dan smelled like Matt, and Allison smelled like floral shampoo. It was almost overpowering. _Almost._

“Rough day?” Dan asked.

“And what’s with the hickie?” Allison said. 

Neil groaned again. “It’s not a hickey, it’s a burn.” 

“How did you burn the back of your neck?” Dan asked as Matt chuckled. 

“Crowbar,” Neil said, muffled by the blankets. 

They all laughed and then slipped into an easy silence. It was comfortable, and Neil ached because he could count the number of times he’d felt this at peace on one hand. 

“You wanna talk about it?” Dan said quietly, her hand appearing in his hair. 

“No,” Neil said. 

“Alright,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. The tv kept playing the background and Neil drifted off again. The next time he woke up Allison and Dan had both fallen asleep. Their heartbeats were slow and steady, it was indescribably relaxing. He managed to turn his head to the side so he could see Matt, and he squinted up at the other man, who smiled. 

“Hey,” he said. 

“Mm,” Neil hummed. The room was dark so the only light came from the tv, which was shining blue from whatever show Matt was watching. It flickered, dancing across the wall and Matt chaotically. 

“Something happen with the guys?” Matt asked.

Neil let out a long breath through his nose. “Sort of,” he said.

“Anything I can do to help?” 

“You are.” 

“Good.” 

They lapsed back into silence until the ache in Neil’s chest got to be too much. It felt almost like a betrayal to be so comfortable and at ease in a crummy hotel were--not three years ago--Neil would have been sleeping with his back to his mother’s and a gun under his pillow, keyed up and ready for his father’s men to burst through the door at any moment. 

Now though, he was surrounded by his team, his family, there was no gun and he pushed all thoughts of his father aside. 

“Hey Matt,” he said, and Matt looked back down to him. “I’m really glad I met you guys, all of you,” he said. 

Matt smiled, ruffling his hair. “Me too,” he said. “Me too.”

*☾*

Neil slept with the upperclassmen until noon rolled around the next day and someone knocked on the door. Allison groaned and Dan kissed Matt’s forehead as she got up to get it.

“Here for Neil?” she asked, and Neil looked over to see Nicky standing in the doorway. 

“Kevin was worried, I told him he was with you guys but he wanted me to come check in,” Nicky said. He waved over Dan’s shoulder and Neil pretended he was still asleep, hoping the more he faked it the more real it would become. 

He heard Dan shift in the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest and lowering her voice when she spoke next. Neil could still hear her though. “You know what’s going on? He didn’t say anything.” 

Nicky hesitated, quieting his voice too. “Apparently they got in a bit of a spitting match.” 

“Kevin and Neil?” 

“No.”

“Ah,” Dan said, like somehow everything suddenly made sense. 

“Yeah,” Nicky said. “Andrew dropped Kevin with me and Aaron and then went off with Renee… he didn’t look too happy.” 

Dan scoffed. “When does he ever?”

“I just mean--” Nicky stopped himself, sighing. “Yeah, I don’t know.” 

Neil pushed himself up and they both looked over at him. He felt stiff and sore and the back of his neck itched. Nicky smiled at him from the doorway, looking guilty for some reason and Dan pointed to the bathroom. 

“Shower’s in there, Matt probably won’t mind if you steal his towel,” she said. Neil nodded but hesitated when he realized he didn’t have any clothes to change into. 

“I can grab you something, I’m heading back to tell Kevin you’re still breathing anyways,” Nicky offered. Neil opened his mouth to argue but Nicky grinned. “‘ _Sounds great Nicky, thanks so much you’re so hot and perfect._ ’ You’re so welcome Neil, anytime,” Nicky said with a wink. Neil rolled his eyes but he was gone before he could say anything else and Dan closed the door with a laugh. 

“Coffee?” she said. 

“I’d kill for some,” Neil said, and Dan made her face mockingly serious as he pointed at him. 

“Don’t joke about that, I wouldn’t put it past you,” she said, and Neil couldn’t help a grin as she laughed at her own joke and ripped open the curtain. Light poured into the room and Allison and Matt groaned from where they were on the bed, snatching pillows and covering their faces as they rolled away from the sun. “Wakey wakey folks, last day before we head back and I _know_ you guys don’t want to spend the last of vacation before Day week sleeping.” 

“The hell is ‘Day week?” Matt asked, squinting at her. 

“The week where I let Kevin lead practices,” Dan said, starting coffee.

They groaned again, throwing their pillows at Dan. “You’re the _devil_ ,” Allison said. 

Dan laughed at both of them as they peeled themselves up off the bed. Allison didn’t make it far, just sat squinting in Dan’s general direction as she waited for coffee, but Matt stretched out and mentioned something about a shower before disappearing. 

“You feeling better?” Dan asked Neil and he nodded. 

“Get in a fight with your monster?” Allison asked bluntly as she pulled her hair back into a messy bun at the top of her head. Neil glared and even Dan pursed her lips, but she wasn’t looking. “Never took you for the type to stir up jealousy,” she added, a hair tie in her mouth. 

Neil frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Well, unless that hickey’s from him…” 

“ _It’s not a--_ ”

“Right, right, not a hickey, just a burn, on the back of your neck, from a crowbar,” Allison said, tone disbelieving as she matched the glare Neil was giving her. “C’mon Neil, I thought you were supposed to be good at lying.” 

“I’m not--” 

“Allison, if he doesn’t want to talk about it leave him alone,” Dan said, pouring coffee into a mix of paper cups and hotel mugs that she passed to Allison and Neil. Allison scoffed, stealing Neil’s mug and giving him her paper one without pausing. 

He rolled his eyes. “I’m _not lying_ , it’s a burn--and besides, why would I be getting hickies from Andrew?” 

Both Allison and Dan stared at him, frozen where they were taking sips of coffee. Their eyes darted to each other, and then Allison cocked her head at him. “Wait--you guys _are_ fucking right?” 

Neil choked on his coffee, spluttering and almost spilling it all over himself. “ _What_?” he managed around coughs. Dan thumped him on the back. “ _No_ , why would you think that?” 

“Uh, he’s obsessed with you, and you’re obviously in love,” Allison said, like it was obvious. 

Neil wracked his brain, mentally running through all the time he’d spent with Andrew. He couldn’t think of any indication that Andrew liked him--especially not like _that._ His cheeks heated at the thought of it, but Andrew used every opportunity to remind Neil of his hatred. 

He blinked suddenly, surprised at the spike in his heart rate. _Why am I so flustered?_ It wasn’t like that was something Neil wanted with Andrew. 

_Right?_

“You ok there buddy?” Dan asked softly, and Neil jumped slamming out of his thoughts back into his shoes. 

“I’m fine,” he said slowly, brow furrowed as he watched a spot on the floor. Neither of them looked convinced, and Allison smirked behind her mug. 

She looked to Dan pointing at her seriously. “We are _not_ mentioning this, I’m winning that bet,” Allison said. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s against the rules,” Dan said. 

“Bet?” Neil said. 

Allison waved her off. “I give it until the end of the month,” she said flippantly, Dan rolled her eyes, smiling. 

“Huh,” Neil said. His mind was racing and his face was still burning as he started backing towards the door. 

“Oh no,” Allison said with an insincere frown. “I think we broke him.” 

Neil cleared his throat, shaking out his head. It didn’t matter _what_ he thought of Andrew he was still _mad_ damnit. 

That didn’t mean he couldn’t ask him, Neil was pretty sure it was his turn anyways. 

Not that it mattered. 

“I’ve got to go,” Neil said slowly, moving out the door. The girls called their goodbyes after him but he barely heard them, too caught up in his thoughts. 

Andrew didn’t like him--he wasn’t _‘obsessed_.’ _What did that mean anyways?_ If he was obsessed with anyone it was probably Kevin, but they weren’t involved. At least, not that Neil knew about. He frowned, trying to wrap his head around that idea, he couldn’t quite manage it--and it made his stomach do a weird cramping thing. 

He was so out of it that he almost crashed right into Nicky, who was hurrying through the lobby towards the elevator. 

“Oh I’m so sor--Neil?” Nicky said. 

“Sorry, I need to--I’ve got to go,” Neil said. Nicky frowned, holding up the clothes and watching as Neil skirted around him for the door. 

“Don’t you want to--?” 

“I’m fine!” Neil called, and he slipped outside and started jogging back to the house, forcing his mind to empty as he did. He had to slow his pace a bit halfway through though, his muscles were aching from his run the day before--though much, _much_ less than they should have. 

“Hey!” a voice called, Neil ignored it. “Hey!” the voice said again, this time more harshly and a pickup pulled up alongside him coasting at his same speed. “I’m fucking talking to you.” Gordo was leaning out the window of a truck, glaring at Neil, who scowled back. 

“What?” he snapped. 

“Get in, we need to chat and you’re limping.” 

“I’m fine.” 

Gordo gave him a flat look. “Listen kid, either you get in or I run over your scrawny ass.” 

Neil skidded to a stop, and Gordo jumped to pump the brakes. “Fuck _off,_ ” Neil said, before taking off again. 

Gordo sighed, and then revved his engines and Neil glared, but the man just raised a brow and nudged the truck forward like he was daring Neil to start running again. Eventually Neil gave in, climbing into the cab and crossing his arms over his chest, staring straight ahead with every muscle tensed. 

Gordo eyed him for a moment, sighing, and then started driving again. 

“Where’d you get those rope-burns?” he asked bluntly, and Neil couldn’t help but feel a bit of surprise at the lack of bush-beating. He still didn’t appreciate the curiosity though, so he just stayed silent, at least glad that the man was taking him back to the house and not pulling anything. “I’m a witch, I could probably make you tell me.” 

“Hazing,” Neil said. 

“I seriously doubt that,” Gordo said lowly. 

“I don’t care.” 

Gordo sighed heavily, but his tone stayed serious. “Was it someone on your team?” 

“No.” Neil said, before he could stop himself. _He was a fox. Not a raven. He would never be a raven._

“You don’t have to protect them if--” 

Neil laughed, even though nothing was funny. “You don’t know anything about me, save your misguided concern for someone who might actually use it, I’m fine.” 

“Doesn’t seem like it.” 

Neil didn’t say anything. 

“You know--” Gordo said, but right as the house came into view a sleek black car pulled up behind them. Neil narrowed his eyes at it suspiciously. “If you need anything, we can help you. It might not feel like it but you’re pack for now, that’s not something they take lightly.” 

“I don’t want to be a part of your stupid pack,” Neil scoffed, momentarily distracted from the strange car as he snarled at Gordo. 

“Do you have a headache or something? From being so tightly wound all the time?” Gordo asked, a bit of bite in his voice as he pulled into the driveway.

“I told you to fuck off, I’m fine, go bother someone else,” Neil snapped, throwing open the door and jumping out. 

“You’re a real peach aren’t you,” Gordo said.

Neil turned to spit a snide remark at him but he froze as he noticed the black car pulling in behind Gordo. Neil didn’t want to deal with whoever was going to come out of it so he hurried up to the door, a bad feeling crawling in his gut as he opened it. 

Kevin was in the kitchen stuffing fruit in a blender and Andrew was smoking in the window next to the tv. He looked up when Neil came in, expression bored. 

“ _Nathaniel_ ,” a voice called from behind Neil, and he froze. His blood turned to ice in his veins and his lungs stopped working. He turned slowly, and to his horror, saw Riko Moriyama standing in the driveway wearing a smug smile. 

Neil felt rage flood through him almost violently, but then Andrew was there, shoving him back into the house. 

“Riko!” Andrew called, pulling up his own sloppy grin and flicking his cigarette away. “I was _just_ thinking about how great you’d look without skin.” 

“Minyard,” Riko said, tone dripping with distaste. He stood his ground as Andrew strolled up to him, looking completely calm and Neil didn’t like it. 

Before he could think he was down the driveway and in front of Andrew, snarling at Riko. 

“What do you want?” he snapped. Andrew tried to grab him and shove him away but Neil didn’t budge, his mind consumed with the need to tear out Riko’s throat and shove Andrew and Kevin behind a locked door far, far away from here. 

“Not enough to just want to check in on a member of my team?” Riko said slowly. 

Andrew gave up trying to tug Neil away and grabbed a handful of his hair, yanking his head back so that Neil was forced to scowl at him. 

“ _Back off and let me handle this._ ” His teeth were gritted, and Neil realized he was probably right. He wasn’t in the right mind to deal with Riko right now since he was pretty sure if Riko so much as _thought_ about Andrew he’d tear out his throat. 

But then--Riko opened his mouth. 

“You seem more lucid Minyard, I’m glad Proust was effective.” 

And Neil saw red. 

He tore away from Andrew, mouth growing too full and his nails elongating into claws as he lunged for Riko, who didn’t even have time to look shocked as Neil sank his claws into his neck and _ripped it to shreds._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Death to rat-boy >:)
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading!!! I love you more than the cabbages in my garden (which is saying a LOT) and I would steal a peacock for you. 
> 
> Lemme know what your favorite part was!! It will kill me!! <333 XD


	4. Keys / Wolf Wolf Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ja;lsfkjds holy shit I'm so excited about this chapter and it's really only because of the ending god I hope this is as cool as it went in my head alskdfj;alsdj
> 
> (Also mini warning: this chapter gets a little intense, Neil shifts and there's some trauma to sift through in the form of crazy hallucinogenic night mares!)
> 
> ALSO ALSO: I wrote this lil ficlet for Moony about Carter and the Timberwolf that is 100% Homesong canon so it's kinda like a bonus chapter to apologize for the wait XD <33 
> 
> boop: you can find it [here](https://luci-cunt.tumblr.com/post/619193522802835456/pad-thai-fuck-off-moonsandstarsaregay-im) or on my AO3

It took both Kevin and Andrew to tear Neil away from Riko, he felt wild and the only thing he could think about was Riko’s blood on his teeth. He couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t see anything except Riko bleeding out and choking on the ground. 

It was the smell that hit Neil first, it was unlike anything he’d ever smelled. It made his head spin and he struggled against Andrew and Kevin, trying to get back on Riko so he could make him _unrecognizable._

Andrew had his arms around Neil’s waist in a vice grip, practically lifting him off the ground and Kevin had a handful of Neil’s hair while his other hand frantically waved in front of Neil’s face, trying to shake him out of the bloodlust. 

People tried to get out of the car but suddenly there were vines wrapping around it, locking the people in and Gordo crouched down over Riko. He jammed the stump of his right hand into the ground and used the other one to slowly stitch the wound on Riko’s neck back together. 

Neil felt Kevin’s guilty relief hit him like a wall at the same time as Andrew’s sour tasting disappointment. Neil just felt _rage._

“I’ll fucking _kill you,_ ” Neil snarled at Gordo, but he stumbled as the wounds closed on Riko, his eyelids fluttering and the raven on his arm flapping its wings in a panic. There was a howl from somewhere to Neil’s left and panic clawed through the anger for a moment. 

Then Andrew knocked Kevin aside and yanked Neil’s head back. 

“ _Get yourself under control_ ,” He snarled in Neil’s ear. 

“ _No,_ ” Neil snapped back as Riko gasped for air and scrambled back, his wounds completely healed leaving just his blood stained shirt. His heart was pounding--Neil could hear it--and every instinct, every muscle, every _atom_ in Neil wanted to pounce on him and rip him to shreds. 

Wolves burst out of the trees, Neil recognized Mark as he wound himself around Gordo--who had fallen back onto his ass and was blinking and shaking his head like he was fighting off sleep. Mark growled viciously at Neil, but Neil barely registered it, still consumed with breaking free of Andrew’s hold and getting his hands around Riko’s throat. 

Four more wolves appeared, black, white, grey, and the timberwolf. The black wolf shifted back into a naked Ox, who was standing in front of Neil in a flash, eyes blazing red. Neil snarled at him, but Ox just got nose-to-nose close and _roared._

It felt like Neil’s heart had been hooked up to a car battery, electricity jolted through him and he managed a choked yelp as he tried to scramble back away from Ox. Andrew was behind him one second, and in the next his fist slammed into Ox’s jaw, sending the man reeling. 

The wolves all turned aggressive, and Neil felt a spike of unfamiliar anger shoot through him. 

_Hurt brotherpackloveoxalpha._

Neil--despite the clawing urge to curl into a ball in the dirt--got between Andrew and the other wolves, snarling at them. He felt Andrew pull his knives out and come to stand beside Neil, both of them in front of Kevin, snarling and ready for a fight. 

“ _Stop_.” Ox snapped, and every one of the wolves froze, head snapping to him. He straightened, rubbing his sore jaw and flexing it experimentally. The black wolf wove around him, whining in concern. It snarled at Andrew and then shifted, revealing a very pissed off looking Joe. 

“ _Who the fuck_ \--” he snapped, looking like was going to jump Andrew, but Ox stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“Joe I’m fine,” he said. 

The grey wolf--Carter--came up, ignoring the timberwolf’s snarling, and licked Ox’s jaw while whining softly. Ox gently pushed him away, eyes on Neil and Andrew. 

“Gordo,” Ox said, eyes not moving. “What happened?” 

Gordo looked half unconscious as he leaned against the brown wolf, eyelids fluttering. But he grunted. “Tore out this kid’s neck,” he managed, pointing to Riko. “Something about Blondie,” he added, words slurred as his head lolled back. The brown wolf whined, nudging at Gordo and making the man jump. “I’m up!” he said, blinking fast, he groaned. 

“Neil,” Ox said, making Neil’s eyes snap to him almost involuntarily. “Who is this?”

“None of your fucking business,” Neil snapped. 

“I am--” Riko coughed as he started to talk, rubbing at his throat. He’s managed to push himself up using the car as a crutch. He looked pale but overall fine, it made Neil’s blood boil. “I am Riko Moriyama,” Riko said. 

Joe frowned. “Moriyama?” 

“Yes, like the pack,” Riko said, smug. “Nathaniel and I go way back,” he added. 

Neil snarled. “You should have let him die,” he snapped at Gordo. 

“Minyard--” Riko cut himself off with a sharp laugh. “Oh--I was going to tell you to leash your dog, how the tables have turned!” 

“Keep his name out of your shit encrusted mouth you fucking pig,” Neil snapped. 

Joe, Gordo, Ox--and Neil could have sworn even the wolves--all raised their brows to their hairlines. 

Riko just smiled, tutting at Neil mockingly. “And here I thought you would have learned some manners after our time together.” His grin turned vile, and he looked to Andrew. “You should have seen it, took awhile to break him but the begging was worth it.” 

“ _What the fuck_ ,” Gordo muttered, eyes wide as he looked at Riko. 

“What is he talking about,” Joe said suddenly, his tone surprisingly tight. Neil glanced to him and he was ghostly pale, jaw clenched so tight Neil could hear his teeth creaking like they were going to shatter. Ox put a hand on his shoulder, looking shocked and concerned, but Joe shook him off. His eyes flashed red and Neil tried to keep his mouth shut but--

“Evermore,” he said. 

“Joe--” Ox said, Joe didn’t listen. 

“Tell me what happened,” Joe said, eyes burning red. Neil felt all the details racing to the surface, every word and every touch of the knife and Riko’s spit in his mouth and the blood-warmed steel of cuffs around his wrists. He felt himself open his mouth and moved without thinking, snatching one of Andrew’s knives and taking it to his tongue. 

Andrew stopped him before he could do anything, twisting his wrist and forcing him to drop the knife, but he also clamped a hand down over Neil’s mouth to keep him silent, and Neil had never been more grateful. 

Joe blinked, the red flickering out of his eyes and getting replaced by obvious guilt and shock as he stumbled backwards. 

“Oh god, I--I didn’t--” he stammered. Ox grabbed him, wrapping him in a tight embrace as the other wolves whined. Even Neil felt a spike of panic and terror--as well as something else, something blood curdling familiar--spike through him. 

He knew in a second why Joe was reacting how he was. That surprised him, and he tried to dig into the feeling but it was gone as soon as it had come. All he knew was that Joe _knew_. Their eyes met and Neil felt an odd flash of a connection flood through him, almost like tearing away a curtain on a window, and for a second he felt chords connecting him to each of the wolves. Blue and red spiked through his mind in angry tears as sadness and anger washed over him. He felt Mark’s worry for Gordo and Joe, and he felt Carter’s blatant disgust towards Riko. He felt others too--Elizabeth, Kelly, Robbie, all curious and afraid as they sat waiting for Ox or Joe to call them, their thoughts all singing _packpackpack_. 

He knew in an instant exactly what each of them felt for one another, and he realized with sheer terror that the others might be able to as well, so he slammed the door closed. 

All the wolves blinked, stumbling backwards like Neil had closed a literal door in their faces. Carter yelped and the timberwolf cocked its head. 

“That’s not going to be good,” Gordo said, still looking dazed. 

But apparently Neil hadn’t closed the door fast enough, because Carter turned on Riko, growling viciously and snapping as he stalked towards him. Riko paled and started backing up when the timberwolf joined Carter. 

“Wait--” Riko said, Carter barked at him, hackles up and head low with his lips pulled back in a bone chilling snarl. “Alphas--stop this--” Riko tried, looking to Joe and Ox. 

Joe wasn’t looking, his head pressed against Ox’s shoulder, but Ox looked utterly unconcerned. “Stop what?” he said innocently. 

Riko scowled, and just before Carter and the timberwolf leapt at him he snapped-- “I know where Robert Livingstone is!” 

The name didn’t mean anything to Neil, but all the pack froze. Carter gnashed his teeth in anger, pacing back and forth in front of Riko as he obviously tried to gauge whether or not to kill Riko anyways. 

“Tell us,” Ox said, calm. 

Riko scowled. “I won’t tell you anything until I’m sure I won’t be mauled.” 

Just then three more wolves burst out of the trees, Neil knew it was the other’s without even looking, but Elizabeth shifted, coming to stand with Ox and putting her hand in her son’s hair. She gave him a tender glance that made Neil ache a bit, and then she turned sharp and calculating as she looked to Riko. Kelly went to Joe as well, nudging his hand with his nose, and Robbie came to stand next to Ox, growling lowly at Riko. 

“Elizabeth Bennett,” Riko said. 

“You know me, yet I don’t know you,” she said evenly. 

“Riko Moriyama,” he said, distracted as he gave her a slimy once over that made all the wolves puff up and growl. 

Elizabeth didn’t seem to care. “Ah, now I see,” she said, he smirked. 

“What do you see exactly?” 

“You’re useless, that’s why I haven’t heard of you.” Riko’s facade cracked and his jaw clenched, but Elizabeth wasn’t done. “I know of Kengo, and his son Ichirou, but when a Riko and Tetsuji were mentioned I had no idea who you were. Now I see why--it must be horrible, shunned from your family simply for being born different. I pity you.” 

Riko’s eye twitched. “I am--” 

“--not pack, therefore, useless,” Elizabeth said, her tone flat and calm. Andrew snorted, and if Neil wasn’t so shocked he probably would have too. 

Riko looked like he was going to explode for a full minute, and then he forcibly collected himself, straightening his spine and scowling.

“I know where Robert Livingstone is,” Riko said again, clinging to his only leverage. 

“And you’re going to tell us, or we’ll let Carter tear out your throat and I’ll heal you until you change your mind,” Gordo said. He’d managed to stand up, looking only a little shaky, and he was glaring at Riko with almost as much hate as Carter.

“It would kill you,” Riko said, and Gordo shrugged. Mark growled and nipped at Gordo’s hand but he just shoved the wolf away. “I came here to make a deal,” Riko said, “It will benefit all of you, because I _also_ want Livingstone dead,” he added. 

“Great,” Andrew said suddenly. “This sounds like not our problem, Kevin, get back inside,” he ordered. Kevin hesitated for a bare second before hurrying away. Neil heard the door to the bathroom slam shut, but then Andrew was in his ear. “If I let you go are you going to do something stupid?” he whispered in German. 

_Depends on your definition,_ is what Neil _tried_ to say, but Andrew’s hand was still over his mouth. 

“Yes or no,” Andrew said. 

Neil growled, but Andrew didn’t budge, so he nodded and Andrew dropped him. “Inside, now.” Neil twitched, still itching to dive for Riko, but Andrew stood between them, blocking Neil’s view and pointing to the house. He ignored Neil’s scowl and eventually Neil gave up, stomping towards the house. 

“Wait,” Riko called, Neil’s feet almost stopped and he forced himself to keep moving. “The only way I’ll give you Livingstone’s location is if Nathaniel joins the hunt.” 

Neil paused, only for a moment, and he didn’t even bother turning around to say-- “Too bad there’s no Nathaniel here.” 

“I’ll give you Moreau.” 

That made Neil stop, he heard Kevin’s heart kick up from where he was pressed against the wall next to the front door. 

“You’re lying,” Neil said, still not turning around.

“You’re a wolf now, you can hear my heart--tell me, am I lying when I say: when Robert Livingstone is dead I’ll give you Moreau gift-wrapped.” 

Neil strained, but Riko’s heart stayed steady, giving no indication he was lying. Neil knew it was too good to be true, he _knew_ Riko had to be planning something, but before he could say anything Kevin stepped onto the porch. 

“Do it,” he said to Neil in French. He looked like he was barely keeping himself together, and he whispered, “ _Please_.” 

Neil clenched his jaw. He owed this to Jean, and maybe the deal was too good to be true but either way it brought him within clawing distance of Riko and that was something Neil knew he wouldn’t get again anytime soon.

He turned on Riko, calling up his father’s grin. “If you’re trying to trick me Riko, the death you almost just experienced will seem like _heaven_.” 

Riko just smirked. “Want me to give you my scouts honor?” 

“How about you start with a location hot-shot,” Gordo said.

“You would have to move now, he hasn’t stayed in the same spot more than a few days so far,” Riko said. 

“Then it will have to wait,” Elizabeth said, and all heads snapped to her. “Neil still needs to shift.”

That made Riko raise a brow. “You mean he hasn’t?” 

“What’s it to you?” Neil snapped. 

“Oh, you don’t know?”

“Don’t know what?” 

Riko threw his head back and laughed. 

“Answer the question Riko,” Andrew said calmly, spinning his knives in his palms and scanning Riko like he was trying to decide which patch of skin to shave off first. 

“I’m afraid I must be going, I’ll come back the day after the full moon--I’m sure you’ll all need at least another day to run through that experience,” Riko said. He pried the vines Gordo had created off the car, sliding in with a smirk that Neil wanted to tear off. Gordo closed his fist and the rest of them withered, leaving the car able to drive off. 

Neil turned to Elizabeth almost immediately, and the wolves all shifted into their human forms, leaving only the timberwolf on four legs, it walked past Neil and directly up to Kevin, who flinched a bit, and then stayed completely still, eyeing the wolf. 

“What did he mean?” Neil demanded, and Elizabeth pursed her lips. 

“It’s…” she paused, thinking. “ _Uncommon_ , for a wolf to be able to half-shift before their first full moon.” 

“She means impossible,” Gordo said, but he was frowning at the timberwolf and Kevin as he said it.

“That means he wants you to do it again,” Carter called, watching the wolf prod at Kevin’s ribs. Kevin had his hands up above his head and a faintly panicked expression on his face. Andrew tensed but didn’t move. 

“What? What’s it want me to do again?” Kevin said. 

Carter shrugged. 

Kevin looked back down at the wolf. “ _Bonjour?_ ” he said uncertainly, and the timberwolf nudged him harder. Shockingly, Kevin giggled. “Hello, I don’t know what to say, do you care?” he cooed in French. The timberwolf butted its head against Kevin’s stomach, knocking him over with an _oof_ , but then the wolf just curled up around Kevin, nudging him to make him speak again. “Do you even understand me?” Kevin asked, looking remarkably happy as he petted the wolf’s massive head. 

Neil and Andrew shared a look, Andrew shrugged, Neil did too. He caught Carter out of the corner of his eye, his head was cocked so much it almost looked painful, and he was watching the wolf and Kevin with an odd look on his face. 

“Everytime I think we have something figured out…” Gordo muttered, shaking his head.

“I think it’s cute,” Elizabeth said, beaming.

“Awe, don’t be jealous Carter,” Robbie said, grinning. 

Carter scowled. “I’m not--why would I be, this is good, maybe now I can finally have some fucking privacy,” he snapped. 

“Can we go back to the cryptic bullshit?” Neil said, Elizabeth nodded, sobering. 

“Most often, wolves who become wolves by taking the bite cannot shift to any extent until at least their first full moon, when they have a tether. The interesting thing about you Neil, is that you haven’t shifted, and you don’t have a tether that we’re aware of, yet you can half-shift and are still a beta rather than omega,” Elizabeth explained calmly.

“If it’s impossible how am I doing it?” Neil asked, frustrated and confused. None of this made sense and his head hurt now that the high of the anger had drained out of him. 

“If we knew, you’d know,” Gordo said. “The only option for some answers is to let me root around in your brain a big but--” he gave Neil’s tensed posture a significant glance. “Yeah something tells me you’re not gonna go for that.”

“No,” Neil agreed. 

“It’s not impossible,” Kelly said quietly. The pack’s eyes went to Joe. 

“That’s not the same,” Carter said. “He was a born wolf who shifted into a safer form while in a shit situation.” 

“The first time Neil shifted he was protecting his--” Mark started. 

“ _Hush_ ,” Elizabeth cut him off fast. 

“What?” Neil demanded, looking between them, but Mark’s mouth snapped shut. “Protecting my what?” He racked his brain, trying to decipher what they were trying to say. But, the first time he’d half shifted had been immediately after the bite, when he’d looked over and seen-- “ _Andrew_ ,” he whispered. He looked up to Elizabeth. “I was protecting Andrew--what does that mean? What aren’t you telling me?” 

“This is not the time for that particular conversation I’m afraid,” Elizabeth said. 

“Stop saying that!” Neil shouted. He was tired, and sick of getting half answers that only made his head hurt. “Just tell me what the fuck you’re talking about!”

“No,” Elizabeth said, at the same time as Gordo’s-- “Mates.” 

Elizabeth shot him a glare but Gordo was only looking at Neil with a tired expression on his face. 

“I’m going back to the house,” Joe said suddenly, his shoulders were slightly drooped and he looked more exhausted than Neil felt. Ox was still with him, an arm over his shoulders and hand buried in his hair. Joe seemed to be leaning into it, and the other’s all pursed their lips and nodded seriously when he spoke up. 

“Do you need anything?” Elizabeth asked softly, stroking his hair. Joe shook his head, touching his forehead to hers for a moment. As he passed Neil he spoke up again. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, and Neil felt his remorse like sand on his skin. 

“How old were you?” Neil asked without really meaning to. 

Joe winced, but when he met Neil’s eyes there was a flash of that odd connection Neil had felt earlier, only now it hit the iron door Neil had shut between them. 

“Too young,” Joe said quietly, and then he left. 

Neil didn’t mention that technically _any_ age was probably considered too young. He knew what Joe had meant. He watched as Joe and Ox shifted and then started trotting away, back towards the Bennett house. 

Then he turned back to Gordo. “Explain,” he said. 

“Gordo--” Elizabeth warned, but Gordo held up a hand. 

“First,” he started, “you need to listen. That thing--whatever you just did, cutting all of us off--it’s dangerous. Somehow, you’re surviving without a tether, which I know from experience will tear you apart--especially if you don’t have a pack.” 

Neil felt Mark and Elizabeth’s guilt poke at his fingertips, he ignored it--didn’t know what to do with it even if he wanted to pay attention to it. 

“I don’t need--” Neil started, and Gordo shook his head. 

“It doesn’t matter what you _think_ you don’t need. You were connected--just for a second but I _saw_ it, we all did, and all it confirmed is that you’re a stubborn asshole who’s gotten through life on nothing but willpower and an unhealthy amount of luck.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Neil said quietly, dangerously.

“Wrong,” Gordo said, unbothered. “I don’t know the details but I don’t need them to know that you are going to get yourself killed trying to survive without any help.” 

“Gordo fuck off,” Carter--of all people--snarled. He’d inched his way closer to Neil without Neil even noticing, and he turned to him, expression sober. “He’s got a point but he’s being an ass about it.” Carter’s lips pursed as he thought over what he wanted to say. 

Neil opened his mouth to snap at him but Carter picked up a stick and poked him in the forehead. “Shut up, I’m talking,” he said, and Neil spluttered, grabbing his head and taking a step back. Andrew took a step forward, but Carter pointed at him with the stick, “You too, I didn’t touch him,” he said. “Now you--” the stick was back in Neil’s face. “--Are an idiot, a survivor, but an idiot. If you keep winding yourself tighter you’re going to snap and do you know what happens when a wolf snaps? It's worse than losing your mind because you’re still in there. You know, in the very back of your mind the things you’re doing are wrong but you can’t stop them because you don’t _want to._ You’ll track down all your friends because you remember their scents and you’ll tear them apart because you don’t know what to do with yourself. Then you’ll keep roaming and keep killing until someone finally manages to bury a bullet in your skull.

Right now you think you can handle this all on your own because no one’s actually told you what’s at stake. Maybe we’re wrong, maybe you can handle this, but do you really want to risk that? Its not your life you’re worried about--that much is obvious, and stupid--but yours isn’t the only life at risk here.” 

He poked Neil in the forehead again for no reason, and Neil tried to snatch the stick away, snarling, but Carter held on, staring him down. His words caught up with Neil all at once and the vision of Matt’s neck instead of Riko’s under his claws flashed through his mind. The taste of Dan’s blood was like acid on his tongue and the sight of Allison’s unseeing, blank eyes burned. Nicky, his smile washed away by screams, Aaron’s grim realization that he was right about Neil. Renee--Kevin--

_Andrew._

“It’s stupid for us to expect you to trust us right now--you don’t know us. But you need to stick a fucking window in your fort knox or something and at least give us the _chance_ to help you,” Carter said. “Capische?” 

Neil nodded numbly. All his instincts screamed at him to _run run run._ To get an ocean between himself and the Foxes, to disappear and hide himself away. But could he really trust himself? There hadn’t been any control when he’d torn out Riko’s throat, he tried to tell himself that he’d chosen to do it, but he couldn’t. He hadn’t even had time to _think._ He couldn’t risk that, not with the Foxes on the line.

Andrew’s hand appeared on the back of his neck, steady, strong, and calm.

“The deal hasn’t changed, you were already a pipedream,” he whispered in Neil’s ear. “ _Stay._ ”

*☾*

The other Foxes left later that day. Neil made some excuse about wanting more vacation time away from the court, which earned him some odd looks but they seemed happy about it. They hugged him, and ruffled his hair, and Neil watched them go with an ache that hurt worse than any pain he’d ever felt. 

They weren’t nearly as shocked when Kevin, Nicky, Aaron and Andrew all stayed behind as well, probably just assuming Andrew was making them. 

And he was, sort of. Nicky and Aaron weren’t exactly _excited_ to stay in Green Creek but Kevin was surprisingly ok with it. Neil had asked him after the rest of the Bennett’s had left if he’d ever been part of a pack. Kevin got a faraway look in his eye, and managed a small, _yeah_ , before he drained a bottle of vodka and passed out on the couch with a nature documentary playing. 

Elizabeth had offered them all rooms in the Bennett house, but neither Neil or Andrew were excited about the idea of sleeping surrounded by wolves anymore than they already were, so they chose to stay in the AirBnB. The Bennetts supplied them with more beds though--ignoring any protests--and started calling the place ‘The Den.’

_Get it, because you’re foxes and foxes sleep in dens?_ Carter had said, grinning stupidly. 

_They get it Carter._ Kelly had said, rolling his eyes.

Annoyingly, Carter had practically moved in. He said it was because of the Timberwolf--which Neil almost believed since it seemed glued to Kevin. He’d also brought them an Xbox after complaining about their lack of games and then proceeded to destroy Aaron at Mario Kart and some shooter game Neil didn’t care about. Andrew seemed to tolerate him, and Nicky adored him. Neil wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

The beds got set up so that Andrew, Neil and Kevin slept in one of the rooms while Nicky and Aaron took up the other. It was almost like dorms at the Tower, except the rest of the Foxes were on the other side of the country, rather than just the wall. 

Wymack texted them all the day the other’s got back and Andrew gave him a vague excuse while Neil pretended he didn’t know what a charger was. 

“I know running from your problems is your only real talent, but you’re going to need to deal with this eventually,” Andrew said, walking in on Neil staring at the dead phone.

Neil didn’t look up. “The next time I call will be a goodbye,” he said. 

Andrew scoffed. “Like coach would let you off that easy.” 

It had been two days since the Riko affair--and since Neil had tried to confront Andrew about Allisons made-up ‘obsession.’ Neil hadn’t brought it up.

“We’re back!” Nicky called as the front door opened. He, Aaron, and Carter had been charged with getting groceries. “Carter was just saying we should come by for dinner! Apparently it’s a thing for them,” he called. 

Neil got up and went to help unpack the groceries while Andrew leaned in the doorframe with his arms crossed. 

“And then he agreed to it, like an idiot,” Aaron said, passing Nicky milk and eggs to put in the fridge. 

Carter smirked. “You didn’t exactly argue,” he pointed out, making Aaron glare. 

Nicky made an offended noise. “I thought it would be fun! Besides, Sunday dinners are cute as hell, remember when we used to do them?” 

“I remember you burning mac-and-cheese every Sunday, if that’s what you mean,” Aaron said. 

“You’re such an ass,” Nicky muttered, shaking his head as Carter laughed. “Besides,” Nicky went on, looking to Andrew and Neil. “It’s not like you guys had anything else planned for this random vacation extension.” 

“What time?” Andrew asked, and Nicky beamed. 

“Five-ish, I’ll just bring you guys when I leave,” Carter said, pulling out his phone to text Elizabeth.

A glance at the clock over the stove told Neil they still had a few hours and he felt antsy. He’d felt it all day, the full moon was tonight and it was like someone had cranked up his senses even _more._ He couldn’t imagine being around the Bennetts for a dinner, it sounded like hell. 

He shot a look to Andrew, hoping to convey as much.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Andrew snapped, disappearing into the room. 

Neil followed him in. “I want to stay here tonight,” he said. 

“What about your wolf-out session,” Andrew reminded him as he hopped up on the desk under the window to smoke--it really was just like the dorms. Neil rolled his eyes and glared. “You’re coming with us,” Andrew said eventually.

“It’ll be fun, take your mind off-- _stuff_ ,” Carter said, appearing in the doorway. 

“Do you have to be as conspicuous as possible?” Neil deadpanned. 

“Part of the charm,” Carter said with an obnoxious wink. 

“What charm?”

“Fuck off shortstack.”

Neil glared, storming out of the room. He found Kevin sitting on the floor in the other bedroom, the timberwolf was wrapped around him as he listened to anexy game with earbuds. The wolf didn’t even twitch as Neil came in, it’s eyes were closed and it looked like it was sleeping, but Kevin paused his note taking to shuffle over a bit and offered an earbud. 

“Who is it?” Neil asked as he came to sit down. It had taken some getting used to, but now Neil saw the timberwolf as more of a glorified throw-rug than threat. He still didn’t lean against it like Kevin was, but he also didn’t want to crawl out of his skin being so close anymore. 

“UT and Belmonte, it’s seven and o, Clement’s about to ruin their streak,” Kevin said. Neil didn’t recognize the name but he knew 09 well enough. He was a shit striker, but UT refused to admit it and the coach always put him in fourth quarter like he hoped his head would pop out of his ass. 

Neil stuck the earbud in right as Clement fumbled a simple pass and got a yellow card for screaming at some random backliner for ‘tripping’ him. 

They watched for a while, Kevin taking notes and Neil just looking. It felt bittersweet and it made his skin buzz. After a while of Kevin shooting him his version of sneaky side glances Neil gave up. 

“What Kevin?” 

He pursed his lips, and after a moment put aside his pen and paper. “You could still be a coach,” he said quietly. 

“You of all people should know why it wouldn’t be the same,” Neil said, keeping his eyes on the game. 

“But it would be _something_.”

“Easy for you to say, your handicap was fixable.” 

Kevin flinched and Neil felt a spike of guilt. He sighed. “I didn’t mean that, it’s just--” 

“No, it’s alright--I know what you meant.” 

“I can’t risk it Kevin,” Neil added after they’d lapsed into a long moment of silence. “I’m--I don’t know what I am now, I don’t know how to control it. I can’t risk hurting them.” 

“You can’t be afraid of yourself,” Kevin said, his tone urgent and serious. 

“How?” Neil asked, barely keeping his voice from cracking. 

“You train, you work--I’ll help, the pack will help, you can learn to control it,” Kevin said. “I told you to give me your game, you don’t get to back out.” 

“Kevin this isn’t exy--I’m--” 

“I was in a pack, before--with my mother,” Kevin started, swallowing hard to steady himself. The timberwolf curled tighter around him, almost unconsciously--as it’s eyes were still closed. “It wasn’t very big, but it was… it was good, I miss it. I’m not a wolf so it wasn’t the same but--” he cut himself off, shaking away the distant look in his eyes and staring Neil down. “We lived with humans because we were too small to make our own place, no one ever found us out--not even the kids, and they all went to school and worked and--the point is, it’s not impossible to control it, you just have to learn.” 

“If I have a tether,” Neil said. 

Kevin’s brow furrowed. “Are you worried you won’t?” 

“What am I supposed to use? Everything I own could be dumped in a trashcan on the way out of the state,” Neil said, clenching his fists where they rested in his lap. His mind jumped to his keys but that felt wrong. Which one would he even pick? 

“It can also be an idea--or a person,” Kevin said. 

“No,” Neil said, shaking his head. Again, he didn’t know why but it felt wrong. He couldn’t rest the other’s safety--his humanity--on an idea. It had to be something solid, something that he couldn’t get rid of no matter what he tried. People died, memories could be forgotten, items misplaced. 

He realized with building fear that nothing could possibly be secure enough for him to gamble the Foxes’ lives on. 

“Kevin I need you to promise me something,” Neil said, slowly unclenching his hands and staring at the halfmoon indents he’d created. 

“No,” Kevin snapped, he closed the laptop and stood up fast, which made the timberwolf open an eye to glare at Neil, but he wasn’t watching the wolf, he was on Kevin. 

“If I can’t manage this--if I lose it you have to--” 

“ _No_ ,” Kevin said, shoving Neil away and looking wild. “No--I’m not fucking promising you anything, you’re going to make it through this fine and we’re going to--” 

“Open your fucking eyes Kevin, this is real life, that happy ending might happen but it’s a hell of a lot more likely this will end ugly. I need to know right now that you at least won’t stop what needs to happen if I lose it,” Neil snapped. He made sure to keep his voice low, knowing everyone else was just behind the door and he didn’t want them investigating. 

Kevin watched Neil with wide eyes. 

“Promise me Kevin, promise me you won’t keep me alive if I’m just going to tear apart everything I care about.”

“We were supposed to be court,” he whispered brokenly. 

“Please,” Neil said.

He expected Kevin to hang his head, to nod and walk away and leave Neil to ache alone for a moment, but instead Kevin’s lip curled in a snarl and he shoved Neil, _hard._

“ _No_ ,” he snapped, yanking Neil up by his collar to keep him from falling. “If you give up before you even start you’re going to lose this. I’m not promising you anything except that if you lose it I’m going to reach into your thick fucking skull and tear you back out.” He took a breath, collecting himself. “You aren’t weak, you aren’t replaceable, and if you don’t make it through this I’ll know it’s because you gave up on all of us.” 

They watched each other for a long moment, and then Neil straightened, staring Kevin down, and nodded. “Alright,” he said. 

The timberwolf scratched on the door to get out, glaring over its shoulder at them. Carter opened the door, letting out the wolf who bumped its nose against his shoulder as it passed. 

“You guys done sucking face? Time to head out,” Carter said, one eyebrow cocked and a grin pulling at his face. 

Neil and Kevin both scowled. “Fuck off,” Neil said.

*☾*

Dinner was about as hectic as the breakfast they’d had a few days ago. The Bennetts all bustling around and some old sounding music playing as Elizabeth sang along softly and goaded the others into joining her every once in a while. 

Nicky seemed enamored by them all and Neil could feel his happiness leaking off him in waves as he cackled at something Robbie has said. They were outside in the backyard, an annoyed looking Kelly hovering around them, but Nicky and Robbie proved too infectious and the next time Neil glanced over he was laughing with them and the guys from the garage--Rico, Tanner and Chris.

Elizabeth had dragged Kevin, Aaron, and Carter into helping her cook with Jessie--who Neil was pointedly avoiding. That left Neil and Andrew lingering on the fray. The family was so obviously comfortable in their home that it made Neil’s skin itch, that and he couldn’t look up without seeing some kind of contact. A hand on a cheek or a shoulder bumping another. An arm thrown around someone’s head and a foot gently kicking at someone else's ankles. It reminded Neil of the Foxes, which made him ache. 

Gordo and Mark were the last to show up, but the pack sensed them before they even got to the door and Carter threw an egg at Gordo’s chest that he barely managed to dodge. That had led to the sink ‘coincidentally’ malfunctioning and soaking him. 

Nicky and Aaron still had no idea about the wolves, or magic, which was why Carter kept sneaking ham out into the woods for the banished timberwolf. There was another bit of drama when Nicky tried flirting with Gordo and Mark actually growled at him until Gordo smacked the back of his head. 

Other than that though, it wasn’t bad. 

Draining--yes. But bad? No. 

“If you keep snapping your neck around it’s going to pop off,” Andrew said. He’d plopped himself down in one of the armchairs in the livingroom and dragged the ottoman over so he could put his--still booted--feet up, and he was messing with some game on his phone. Carter had tried making fun of him for the “ancient tech” but he’d been flatly ignored. 

Neil forced himself to relax, but still jumped when he heard Nicky shriek from outside at something Rico had said. They all just burst out laughing though, so he settled again. 

“Anyone ever teach either of you how to socialize?” Gordo said gruffly. He was eating a stolen piece of ham and dropped himself onto the couch across from Neil and Andrew. 

“Must have missed that particular class,” Andrew said flatly, not looking up from his phone. 

Gordo rolled his eyes, then looked to Neil. “How are you holding up?” 

Neil shrugged. “I’m fine.” 

“Sure,” Gordo said. 

He looked like he wanted to say something else but Neil stood up. “Sorry,” he said, unapologetic, “bathroom.” 

It wasn’t hard to find and Neil locked the door behind him, relieved to see a window above the toilet. It took some wiggling but he managed to squeeze himself out, landing on the side of the house. The backyard was to his left and the road to the right but Neil just sat down with his back to the house and dragged a hand through his hair. 

The fresh air was a relief, even though he could still smell everyone inside the house and hear their muffled heartbeats. Nicky’s laughter drifted around the corner and Neil heard Carter yell about something Kevin was doing. 

For a moment he thought about just leaving. The road was right there, he could steal a car and drive.

But that wasn’t an option. 

Instead he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He hovered over the name for a moment, and then pressed it, putting the phone to his ear as he listened to it ring. 

“Its about fucking time you picked up a phone,” Wymack snapped on the other end. “They come back telling me staying was your idea, I almost drove down there myself to make sure the little monster hadn’t finally snapped and murdered Kevin.” 

“I can’t play anymore,” Neil said, and he could hear the gears turning in Wymack’s head. He knew what his response would be--knew what he’d say, and it tore him apart thinking about it, so instead he threw himself off the cliff. “I’m a werewolf.” 

The line was silent. 

“This had better be your sick version of a joke,” Wymack said, quiet, he sounded pissed. 

“My first shift is tonight.” 

“Christ Neil,” Wymack cursed, it sounded far-away, like he’d put the phone down to drag a hand over his face. It was odd though, he didn’t sound exasperated he sounded tired--resigned, like he actually believed Neil and knew what it meant.

“You know about them, don’t you?” Neil asked. 

“Yeah, yeah I know about them Neil,” he said, sounding exhausted. “Kayleigh--she was a witch. She tried to keep my nose out of it but…”

“Are you a wolf?” 

“God no.”

Neil felt relief like cold water through his chest. 

“Andrew knows?” Wymack asked. 

“And Kevin, the others don’t.” 

“How are you--” Wymack cut himself off, knowing what Neil’s answer would be. “How’s Kevin?” 

“Somehow an asshole know-it-all about even this.” 

Wymack breathed a harsh laugh. “Figures.” There was silence. “How’d you get turned Neil?” 

“Got shot, got bit.” 

Wymack laughed again. “Of course,” he muttered. “Tonight’s your first shift?” 

“I don’t know how I’m going to pick a tether.” 

“Kayleigh said it just… happened for her.”

“I can’t play anymore,” Neil said again, feeling raw. 

“You know I’d give you assistant coach in a heartbeat kid.” 

_But it’s not the same._ Wymack sighed like he knew it.

“I’m sorry Neil.” 

There was a crash from inside the house and a burst of laughter. Neil heard someone calling his name. 

He cleared his throat. Blinking away his emotions. “I have to go,” he said. 

“Hey,” Wymack said before he could hang up. “You come back Neil, get things worked out and then you come back home alright?” 

Neil felt a lump in his throat. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah I will.” He went to hang up and then stopped himself. “Can you…” he licked his lips. “Can you not take me off the team yet?” 

“You’re a fox even without the jersey Neil.”

“I know, I just…” 

“Yeah, I’ll keep you on.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Call me again when you have four legs,” Wymack said, and Neil breathed a laugh. 

The line cut and Neil took a deep breath, shaking his head and clearing his thoughts. He was going to deal with this, all he had to do was get through dinner and then turn into a fucking wolf. 

Easy. 

*☾*

He shimmied his way back into the bathroom and went to join the others for dinner. They ate outside, with the Bennetts all crowded together on one side of the massive picnic table while the Foxes and Carter and Rico sat on the other. Nicky was talking animatedly with Rico while Carter ignored Kevin’s aggressive explanation of exy. Even Aaron was talking to Joe about something Neil didn’t care to discern. Andrew put his hand on the back of Neil’s neck as he sat down, but he didn’t say anything, which Neil was grateful for. 

The dinner passed blessedly quickly, with Neil politely avoiding Elizabeth’s attempts to drag him into the conversations and the others getting progressively louder until Ox called an end to the meal as it started to get dark. 

The Foxes all went back to the Den--AirBnB. Neil and Andrew didn’t stay long--only enough time for Andrew to grab a pack of cigarettes, a change of clothes for Neil and remind Kevin to lock up behind them. 

“Where are you guys going?” Nicky asked, following them to the door. 

Andrew didn’t say anything and Neil sighed. “Out,” he said. 

Nicky frowned and even Aaron poked his head around the corner curiously. “Out where?” 

“We’ll be back,” Andrew said, shoving Neil out the door. He turned on Nicky at the last second, expression serious. “If you leave this house before we get back I will gut you,” he threatened, looking to Aaron too. “Kevin’s sleeping in your room tonight,” Andrew added. 

“Andrew what’s going on--?” Nicky tried.

“We’ll be back,” Andrew said again, and then he closed the door behind him. Neil heard Kevin lock it, and Nicky and Aaron immediately started demanding answers from him, but Kevin didn’t say anything. 

They didn’t bother with the Maserati, just opted to walk down the road to meet the Bennetts. Andrew pulled out a cigarette as they walked, lighting up and taking a long drag. It was almost completely dark by now, but the moon hadn’t come up yet. Neils skin itched like something was trying to burst out of him and it made him shudder. He blinked away thoughts of fox blood and clenched his jaw. 

“I want to make a new deal,” he said as they walked. 

Andrew took his time answering. “I’m not changing the one we have,” he said finally. 

“No, a new one,” Neil said. Andrew stayed quiet and Neil took a breath. “I need you to kill me if I don’t manage this.” 

“No,” Andrew said. 

Neil’s head snapped to him, but Andrew just took an expressionless drag off the cigarette, keeping his eyes forward. 

“You heard what will happen--I can’t risk that,” he said. 

“Then it better not.” 

Neil snarled, anger bubbling up. “I’ll come for them--for you, I can’t allow that and neither can you.” 

“I’ll stop you.” 

Neil stopped in his tracks, grabbing Andrew by the collar and making him look at him. “I’ll be a fucking _wolf_ Andrew I’ll kill you,” he snapped. 

“Not much a dead man can protect then is there?” 

“Stop fucking around Andrew! This isn’t a joke.” 

Andrew flicked the butt of his cigarette away as his mouth twisted in a sneer. “I never said it was,” he pried Neil’s hands off his shirt, grip so tight Neil felt his bones creak. “But don’t think I didn’t hear you and Kevin’s little conversation Neil--I think it sounds like a bunch of flowery bullshit but last week I thought turning into a giant fuzzy leg-humper was impossible.” He took a step forward, all the way in Neil’s space, but Neil didn’t move. He smelled like cigarettes and blood and warmth and Neil didn’t feel threatened at all. “You are going to make it through this shift because if you don’t I will not stop you from killing me Neil,” Andrew said. 

Neil’s blood froze, but Andrew wasn’t done--he took Neil’s hand and put it around his own neck, holding tight when Neil tried to pull away. “Do it, if you're just going to give up now pop out your claws and let me bleed out in some peace.”

“Andrew--” Neil tried, his heart in his throat. Andrew let him go and he stumbled backwards, holding his hands tight against his chest like he was afraid they really would grow claws and tear away at Andrew. He looked up at the other man, eyes wide. “You’re just going to let all of them die on some whim that I’ll pull through this?” 

“Yeah,” Andrew said with an expressionless shrug. “Come on Neil, we wouldn’t want to be late,” he added over his shoulder, walking away. 

Neil was up in a second, right in front of Andrew and snarling in his face. “You’re an idiot! You don’t know anything about this and you’re just throwing yourself in harm's way like your life means nothing!” 

“Are you done?” Andrew asked dispassionately. 

“I don’t want you there with me,” Neil snapped. “Go back to the house, take the others and leave town.”

“Sir yes sir captain Neil,” Andrew said snidely.

“I’m being serious. I don’t want you there.” 

“I don’t care.” 

“I’m saying _no_ Andrew, go back.” 

“I told you to stop protecting me.” 

“And I never promised to not.”

Andrew slapped a hand over Neil’s mouth and yanked him by the collar until he was almost speaking against his own knuckles. “I _hate_ you,” Andrew said, with real emotion. 

“Hey!” they both snapped their heads over to see Gordo watching them with a tired, pinched looking expression. “Come on, we’re running out of time,” he said. Followed by something that sounded like _‘fucking kids.’_

Andrew dropped Neil and backed away like he’d been burned. Neil opened his mouth to tell him to leave, but Andrew yanked him down by the hair to snap in his ear-- “ _Keep your fucking mouth shut or make sure you never speak another word._ ” And then he was gone again, following Gordo into the woods. 

Neil closed his eyes and took a long breath, collecting himself. When he opened his eyes his heart rate had slowed, but he could still feel Andrew’s throat under his hand. 

He bit his tongue until he tasted blood, and then went after them. 

*☾*

Gordo led them to a clearing a ways away from the Bennett house. A brown wolf Neil recognized as Mark joined them quickly after. As they got closer Neil started to hear the others, they yipped and bared and howled in much the same way as they’d been talking over dinner. 

Gordo didn’t say anything until they were almost right on the clearing, and then he slowed down to be next to Neil. 

“Here’s the deal, with newbies we have to contain them until we know they aren’t going to go nuts on us. Its for your protection and ours, but my wards only work if you agree to them, and I swear I’ll drop them as soon as we know you’re sane,” he explained. Neil’s mouth felt dry. 

“Alright,” he said tightly. 

“Oh, and--” Gordo stopped walking and turned to face Neil. He held up his hand but didn’t move from there. “Elizabeth and I had a theory about your eyes, I can only confirm it if you let me look. I won’t be in your head,” he said. 

“What’s the theory?” Neil asked. 

“We think it's a glamour.” 

“I don’t know what that means.” 

“A spell that makes it look like you’ve got beta eyes. If it’s actually there we’ll have to dig deeper to figure out what might be happening, who put it there and how--but I can check right now.”

“Ok,” Neil said, feeling a bit numb. 

“Are you sure?” Gordo asked, watching him seriously. 

Neil nodded. 

“Ok, you shouldn’t feel anything,” Gordo said as he furrowed his brow and his tattoos started glowing and the raven ruffled its feathers and cocked its head. He held his hand out in front of Neil’s face and it only lasted a second. He blinked, and pursed his lips as he dropped his hand. 

“Well?” Andrew prompted. 

Gordo didn’t take his eyes off Neil. “Come on,” he said, and started walking away. 

Neil felt frustration rise up in him and he stomped after Gordo. Before he could say anything though they burst into a clearing, one that was filled with wolves. 

“Elizabeth,” Gordo said. A wolf colored like Kelly and Carter--greys and blacks and whites--trotted over and then shifted to reveal Elizabeth, there was a goofy smile on her face like she was trying to sober up but couldn’t quite manage it. “He’s omega,” Gordo said. 

She turned to Neil, lips pursed. “Hm,” she said. “Why would someone want to hide that fact?” she murmured. 

“Hide what? What did you see?” Neil demanded. 

“Someone put a glamour on you to make your eyes orange, like a betas, even though they’re violet--like an omega. It explains quite a bit, but… I’m just curious why someone who doesn’t have any experience with wolves would have that kind of glamour,” Elizabeth explained calmly. 

Neil blinked. “They aren’t orange?” he said dumbly. 

“Fucking junkie,” Andrew cursed next to him. 

“Are you sure you don’t know anything about our world Neil? No odd mentions, no weird occurrences?” Elizabeth asked. 

“No--no I--” Neil racked his brain trying to think of something but, there wasn’t _anything_. “No, nothing.” 

“Lets worry about it later,” Gordo said, looking up towards the horizon. “Once you’re behind the wards no one will be able to get in and you won’t be able to get out until I’ve deactivated them. You won’t see or smell or hear anything outside either, got it?” He said to Neil, who felt relief crash through him. 

“I want in,” Andrew said suddenly.

“No--” 

“Once you’re in the same rules apply to you, you won’t be able to leave,” Gordo said. 

“No!” Neil snapped again. “I won’t let you.” 

Andrew turned on him. “What did I promise you back there?” he snapped. 

“I never accepted!”

“Wonder how that feels.” 

“Andrew you can’t--” 

“We’re running out of time,” Gordo said, Neil noticed the other wolves watching them curiously, but he didn’t care, all he felt was the all-consuming fear at the idea of Andrew getting stuck with him. 

“Do it,” Andrew snapped. 

“I need Neil to be on board too or it won’t work,” Gordo said. 

Andrew looked to him again, but Neil shook his head. Andrew grabbed his chin to stop him. “Either get in there with me or go without,” he snapped. 

Neil clenched his jaw, staring Andrew down for a long moment, and then he sagged. 

“Fine,” he said quietly. 

“Back up idiots,” Gordo snapped to the other wolves as he pressed his hand and handless-arm into the ground. Neil felt it like a blast of air to the chest--but he let it happen, standing his ground. Andrew blinked as he felt it too but didn’t move. When Neil looked up again the forest was empty. It was dead quiet except for both their heart beats--Andrew’s was steady, Neil’s was racing, but he couldn’t hear or smell anything from outside the walls.

Neil reached out and put a hand against it--it felt almost like glass--but it didn’t budge. He heard a _slam_ and turned to see Andrew holding a rock, he cocked his head--looking for cracks, and when he was satisfied he tossed the rock aside. 

“You’re an idiot,” Neil snapped. 

Andrew gave him a two fingered salute. “Takes one to know one.” 

Neil sat down against the far corner of the wards and curled around himself, anxiously watching as Andrew calmly walked the walls to find out how big the space was. 

The other’s had given Neil some advice on the shift. Joe and Carter told him it was instinctual, he’d just _know_ how to get through it, but Ox said he’d have to find that instinct first. Neil didn’t know what that meant, he wished there was some kind of list he could follow but everyone seemed to have different advice and explanations and it just made Neil sick. 

His head was pounding, and he shook himself, trying to gather his wits again. Andrew looked over his shoulder and pointed. 

“Here we go,” he said, probably looking at the moon rising. Neil couldn’t bring himself to look. 

He cradled his pounding head in his hands and groaned as the pressure he’d been feeling earlier intensified in a wave through his body. He felt his fingers extend to claws and his mouth fill with teeth and blood start dripping down from where he was clutching at his head. 

And then the pain hit. 

He lasted twenty minutes, writhing and struggling against the shift--it felt like decades--but he couldn’t hold on, and he dropped into unconsciousness.

*☾*

He woke up on carpet. 

He was sitting cross legged on the floor of a bone-chillingly familiar house. 

His father’s house. 

“Abram,” his mother said, she smiled down at him from where she was standing behind an ironing board. Calmly pressing dress shirts free of wrinkles. 

He knew this place, he knew this memory--he knew his father would charge in through the door at any minute, roaring about ungrateful children, and he would snatch the iron from Neil’s mother and--

Neil shuddered, scrambling away from the door. But as he looked around he realized once again someone had scrubbed the memory clean--just like what he’d seen when Joe had first bitten him. Mary’s cheeks were free of tear stains, her face clear of bruises. The house felt oddly cozy, and the shirts Mary was pressing were much too small to be Nathans. 

And the woman with his mother's face was still smiling, she looked a little sad, but she hadn’t stopped ironing. 

“What is this?” Neil demanded, his voice wavering with fear. “He’s--where--” 

“He won’t get you here,” Not-Mary said. “This is a memory.” 

“No, no it’s not one of mine this isn’t--” 

“Breath Abram” Not-Mary said, her voice steely enough that Neil felt himself calming--but it hadn’t been sharp. “You’re alright, you’re safe,” she said.

“Who are you?” he asked. 

Her sad smile came back. “I’m your mother.” 

“No--no you’re not--this is--this is some kind of trick--I, I have to get back, let me go,” Neil said, shooting to his feet and running for the door. He couldn’t bring himself to open it though, he could practically feel his father on the other side, just waiting with an axe. 

“You can’t leave yet,” Not-Mary said. “Not unless you want to lose control.” Neil ached to ask more questions, he tried to force himself to move--knowing logically Nathan wasn’t anywhere near him--but he couldn’t. “We don’t have much time, but I wanted to see you again, and warn you,” Not-Mary said. “This will not be easy, I’m sorry I didn’t prepare you, but you’re strong Abram.” 

“Stop--” Neil snapped. “Stop talking--I don’t _want_ this.” 

“Don’t forget your home Abram,” she said, but her voice suddenly sounded wispy. He whirled on her, but the image was cracking again, flickering like a broken projector between whatever he was in right now and the real memory. 

“No--no mom please don’t go--” he said before he could stop himself, but whoever she was was gone, and Mary returned, standing behind the ironing board with a stoic, unresponsive expression and a heavy blue-and-yellow bruise covering half her face. 

Neil heard the door slam open, heard his father’s heavy footsteps, and his plummeted in his chest. 

He ran. 

He bolted from the living room, sprinting towards the back door, but Lola appeared, grinning too-widely at him with knives in her hands. 

“ _Nathaniiiellll_ ,” Neil heard his father call from behind him. The sound of his axe dragging against the walls echoing through the house. 

Terror threatened to choke Neil and he ran away, leaping onto the stairs to the second floor and forcing himself to go faster and faster as he heard Lola and his father slowly trail after him. 

The staircase seemed unending, but Lola and his father were gaining no matter how fast he ran. He gave up when they got to close and dived over the railing, rolling on the floor and heard a gun go off. Bullets zinged past him and when he looked up the house was gone and he was in Seattle, Mary held his arm in a vice-grip, yanking him up and dragging him along as she sprinted away. 

Neil didn’t have to look behind himself to know his father wasn’t far behind. He heard the squeal of tires and knew what was coming next, that didn’t change it though, and he tripped. Instead of falling onto pavement though he just kept falling, and falling. He was a million miles in the air and plummeting. He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of air cutting past him, tearing at his clothes and stealing the oxygen from his lungs. 

He landed jarringly on a table, his arms and legs and head strapped down with thick leather and his father standing over him with a grin that looked exactly like Neil’s. 

The image flickered, and then it was Riko, the straps turned into cuffs and Neil screamed as Riko and his father both swung butchers knives at his legs. 

He yanked his hands up, breaking the metal cuffs like they were made of paper. His father and Riko vanished like smoke and suddenly he was standing in front of the gym. He recognized the door, he knew the keycode but he pulled the key out of his pocket, feeling the ridges of it under his thumb. 

But when he went to unlock it, the gym vanished, replaced by the Maserati. The key changed too, he could still picture it though, and as he watched the backseat window rolled down. Before he could see inside though, he was suddenly standing in Wymack’s office. The new key was cheap, and Neil really had to think to remember what it felt like, but he knew it would unlock the drawer where he’d kept his bag when he first came. Before he could move he was standing in front of the Columbia house, his key in hand. The windows had light shining through them and the Maserati was in the parking lot. 

When the scene changed again Neil was expecting it, and he wasn’t surprised when he found himself in front of his dorm room at Fox tower. He held the key to his room tightly, almost hoping to draw blood. He could hear the foxes inside, laughing and singing drunkenly. There was a loud cheer as something probably happened on a tv. 

He reached out to open the door, to go in and see them, everything in him aching for it, but then hands grabbed at his clothes and arms and dragged him away. 

He fell, landing on the ground and scrambling desperately for something to hold onto as he was dragged backwards, towards the stairs. Somehow he knew his father’s basement was at the bottom, and the hands were unyielding. 

_But the foxes were just behind that door._

He kicked his feet, grabbing and twisting the hands until they let him go, he fought and he fought and his mother’s words started echoing all around him.

_Don’t forget your home Abram_. 

But Neil didn’t know where his home was--it was too many places now.

The court, the tower, the foxes, Andrew, Kevin, Wymack, Matt, Dan--all of them. 

His home was the foxes, and all of these places, and he tore his way free of the hands and fell through the door. 

Instead of collapsing on the floor though he blinked awake. Dirt and cigarettes and grass and blood and warmth hit his senses like a brick wall and he shook his head, trying to gather himself. 

Then--to his horror--he saw Andrew under him. 

“Perfect timing,” Andrew said, a little strained, and Neil leapt off. Andrew just sagged against the ground, breathing out a long, relieved breath and Neil heard his heartbeat slow. 

Then Neil shifted. 

He felt a bit like a rubix cube as his body reformed, and his first thought was the thing in his hand. Before he could even wonder what it was though, he felt a spike of panic at the thought of dropping it, so he stuffed it in his mouth as it elongated into a snout and he fell forward. 

Instead of landing on his arms though, his paws hit the grass. 

“Neil?” Andrew said, pushing himself up. 

_me_

_am neil_

_am wolf_

_andrew andrew andrew_

_key_

_teeth will break_

_drop drop drop_

“You’re disgusting,” Andrew said as Neil dropped the thing in his mouth into Andrew’s lap. “What the fuck even is this?” 

_key key key_

The wards dropped and suddenly all the other wolves became visible. They howled and yipped happily at Neil, and he flinched back. 

_worked worked worked_

_wolf wolf wolf_

_pack pack pack_

Neil growled as one of them tried to come closer.

_wolf has teeth_

_teeth bite_

_bite hurt_

_andrew andrew andrew_

He tried to stand between the other wolves and Andrew but he couldn’t move his legs right and tripped, yelping as he tumbled to the ground. 

He rolled until he was at least sitting up, and then he smelled blood. 

_hurt hurt hurt_

_andrew andrew andrew_

He pushed himself up and sniffed at Andrew, trying to find a wound. Andrew showed him away. 

“Fuck off,” he snapped, and Neil growled and kept sniffing from a distance. The marks were on his chest, here Neil’s claws had been, just tiny pinpricks of blood and holes in his black shirt. 

Neil whined. 

“Relax, the human pincushion lives,” Andrew said dryly. 

Neil tried to get closer again but he tripped again, not used to using four legs to move.

_clumsy clumsy clumsy_ the other wolves laughed at him. 

Then they all turned their heads to the moon, howling together and Neil felt it like a hook in his chest to sing with them--about safety and _packpackpack_ and _home_. He fumbled his way until he was standing and howled. It was the most satisfying feeling he’d ever felt, like taking in a deep breath after sleeping well or making a perfect play. 

He howled.

And when they ran, he ran with them. 

*☾*

By the end of the night Neil felt exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. He didn’t go far from the clearing, since Andrew wouldn’t run with them, but he sprinted laps around the clearing going faster and faster and faster until everything around him was a blur. The other wolves tried to run with them but he was faster, oh so fast. 

He was also smaller. 

A lot smaller. 

The other’s seemed to tower over him but he wasn’t threatened. They yipped and nipped at his legs and tail but never got to close. They hummed in his mind, all singing and laughing. 

His legs gave out as the moon started to go down and he crawled over to where Andrew was sitting against a tree with Gordo and collapsed. His tongue was lolling out and he was breathing heavy but he felt content. Andrew rolled his eyes. 

“Idiot,” he muttered. He was still holding the key. 

Neil could feel the wolf ebbing away as exhaustion took hold and he felt a spike of panic at the nudity that would come with shifting. He grabbed the extra clothes they’d brought in his mouth and went off into the woods to shift. 

Some of the others started to follow after him and he growled, they backed off easily, jumping on one another and barking. 

This shift felt like the first one, but more like Neil was shedding something. Like breaking the surface of water and coming up for air. His mind cleared and then he was sitting naked on the forest floor as a human. 

He pulled on his clothes slowly, his whole body felt weak and shaky, and he gave himself a moment to breath before stumbling back to the clearing. He dropped to the ground with Andrew, and he tried to sit up but didn’t have the strength, so he ended up on his back looking up at the sky. 

“Holy shit,” he said. 

“Yeah,” Andrew said, emotionless. 

“Are you alright?” Neil asked, eyes on the tears in Andrew’s shirt. “I’m sorry I--”

“I knew what I was getting into when I got in there Neil,” Andrew cut him off. 

“Neil!” Elizabeth said suddenly. She was beaming as she came over--stark naked. “Not as bad as you thought huh?” she said, seeming almost giddy from the moon. 

“Where did you get the key?” Andrew asked before anyone could say anything else. 

Neil looked over to see Andrew holding the key he’d given him--and then realized it was actually the key _Andrew_ had given _Neil_. He recognized it as the fob to the Maserati. 

“I--” 

“Your other keys fell out of your jeans,” Andrew added. 

Neil snatched the key away, flicking it open to reveal a perfect copy of the Maserati’s key. He dragged his thumb over it, the teeth lined up exactly how he remembered. 

“I have no idea,” Neil said quietly. He flicked it closed and opened it again, worried that somehow the key would vanish.

“Wait--did you manifest something?” Gordo asked, but Neil was too busy frowning. 

It wasn’t the Maserati key anymore, but still familiar, and Neil's heart caught in his throat when he recognized it as the one to fox tower. He closed it and flipped it open again, this time it was to the Columbia house, and when he did it again and again he found the one to Wymack’s safe and the court.

“It’s all of them,” Neil whispered. “My tether--it’s all of them.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH aljs;dfkj again I really, really fucking hope this is actually cool and not just something my dumbass thinks is cool aldkjfl;ds
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!! Seriously--all of you have been so fucking amazing I cannot thank you enough, it feels like everytime I doubt if I'm doing ok someone's pops up and smacks me with affirmations and it just alkdjf;lasf I'm serious y'all are so amazing I really hope you like where I'm going with this cuz lol, we're just getting started lakjsd;flaksjd
> 
> <33 so, thank you for reading!! ily!! sorry all my responses to your comments are akjd;flkajsdflkj <333 !!!! but I literally cannot function beyond that XDD

**Author's Note:**

> So? 
> 
> XDD, god i really hope this reads as cool as it went in my head lol. if you liked it lemme know what your favorite part is and I'll literally sell my soul for you <333
> 
> thank you for reading!!! Stay tuned, idk when the next chapter will come out but I'm writing it I swear.


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